


Four Girls Against the World (and some other sh*t)

by ash_er_maine



Category: BLACKPINK (Band)
Genre: Angst, ChaeSoo, Chaelisa - Friendship, F/F, Fluff, High School AU, I'm writing this while taking my finals exam, Jensoo - Friendship, Stupidity, basically everyone is gay, blackpink - Freeform, definitely a slow burn, eventual smut idk, jenlisa, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:08:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 17
Words: 89,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28746714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ash_er_maine/pseuds/ash_er_maine
Summary: Jennie, a broken girl from a broken family. Lisa, the golden child who's set for great things. Chaeyoung, the perfect daughter who loves the imperfect. Jisoo, the girl who gave her everything, but was left with nothing.Navigating through high school is already hard. Adding the weight of the world to it just makes you want to give up. Four girls, four different problems. Little do they know, they're the key to fixing each other.
Relationships: Jennie Kim/Lalisa Manoban | Lisa, Kim Jisoo/Park Chaeyoung | Rosé
Comments: 90
Kudos: 103





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I will be mentioning other idols in the story, some of them you might not like how I've written, but please understand that this is just a fic and that I know all of them are pretty darn awesome!
> 
> !!!WARNING!!!
> 
> I think this could be triggering to some, we're going to be talking about some heavy issues further into the story. There may be some heavy homophobia, alcohol, implications of sexual harassment, and family issues.
> 
> !!!DON'T READ IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE IT!!!
> 
> Please remember that this is a work of fiction. Don't take it too seriously.
> 
> This story is also available on Wattpad.
> 
> Also, this could be a slow update fic because I have school. Minimum of 3 days to 1 week in between updates, hope you guys are patient. I'll try to make the chapters as long and juicy as I can don't worry!

**JENNIE POV**

I threw my head back and felt kisses on my neck. I bit my lip trying to suppress the moans that might come out. My hands found their way to the back of this guy's neck, pulling him closer as I wrap my legs around his waist, closing the space between us. It's 10 a.m. and I hate third-period Chemistry. It didn't take much convincing for this guy to give me what I wanted. Bat my eyes a little, giggle at his stupid jokes, graze my hand on his a few times, and BOOM! I have him wrapped around my fingers.

I let out a groan as he kissed my pulse spot. I pulled his hair and looked him dead in the eye. 

"You're teasing too much. I hate waiting." I told him sternly.

I saw a small blush creep on his cheeks, he bowed his head trying to hide it. _Great, he's one of the sensitive ones._ I rolled my eyes and met our lips, attacking his aggressively.

"Uh... Jen- Jennie-" he said in between kisses.

"Ugh! What?" I asked frustrated. _Seriously? What's a girl gotta do to get laid around here?_ Not that I have to beg for it. Believe me, people beg for me, not the other way around.

"I think maybe we should slow down. It's getting a little hot and-"

"And I just want to be relieved from my sexual frustrations." I snarked, rolling my eyes again.

He stayed quiet. I hate it when they do this. They think just because I entertained them that I'd fall for them and we'd live a fairytale life or something. 

_Psh. As if._

"I'm sorry... I just thought you'd want it to go slow. I'm not one to rush into things. I'll do as you tell me, sorry." he told me, once again bowing his head.

Come to think of it, I don't even remember his name. I eyed him for a moment and tilted my head slightly before clicking my tongue.

"Fine... take off your shirt." I told him. I leaned back on the table I was sitting on, using both my hands to support me. I waited for him to do as I said.

He unbuttons his polo and let it drop to the floor. His abs standing out like they were perfectly carved on his body.

"Okay, what now?" he asked, once his shirt was off.

I bit my lip and sighed.

"You may be a little slow... but Kar was right. You are hot." I said, smirking. I Pulled him closer using my legs and we got back to making out.

 _Okay good. He's learning._ His kisses are more aggressive, his hands aren't shy to roam around my body anymore. Of course, I was getting more impatient by the minute.

I began unbuckling his belt and undid his zipper. I could feel him trying to catch his breath when we pulled away shortly for a breather. He grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled my head back, giving him more access to my neck, making me moan a little louder than anticipated. I helped him drop his pants, leaving him in his boxers.

I was about to take it further when-

"What are you two doing!" someone said, barging into the small storage unit.

_Shit._

\--

"Again Ms. Kim?" the secretary, Mr. Lim at the principal's office called my attention, unamused. He crossed his arms and shook his head.

"What can I say, they love me." I shrugged and took a seat in one of the waiting chairs. 

This isn't the first time I got caught. The first one was during sophomore year. I was in the classroom after school and had a steamy make out session with Irene. Mind blowing. The second time was this year, junior year. I was caught on top of a guy that I happen to find really hot. And now this.

I tapped my foot waiting to be called inside the office, my eyes wandering around.

"You can just wait here. The principal will be with you after a while." I heard from behind.

Curious to see who it was, I turned and saw a long haired blonde make her way to the seat across from me. I watched her, studying her features. She wore glasses, they look cute on her, but she'd also look good without them. She wore a white fitted shirt and jeans to match with it. A casual, but hot look, especially when her shirt follows the curves of her body.

She looked around, trying to familiarize herself with the new surroundings. She noticed me looking and flashed me a thin smile before averting her eyes down to the floor. I could see the blush forming on her cheeks, making me smirk.

"So what'd you do?" I asked a little playfully, leaning back on the chair and crossing my arms.

She looked at me, unsure if I was talking to her.

"Yeah, I'm talking to you. What'd you do to be called up here?" I asked again. I haven't seen her around school and I'm sure I would remember, because her dark brown eyes are almost impossible to forget.

"Oh, uh..." she shuffled in her seat. "I'm a transfer." she answered shyly.

 _So that's why._ I nodded and there was a pause.

"What about you?" she asked in return.

"Oh, I got caught making out with a guy in a storage room somewhere." I answered confidently. 

She pursed her lips inward and nodded. She didn't seem judge-y when I told her.

"Why'd you transfer? Did you get kicked out or something?" I asked, crossing my legs this time.

I noticed her eyes following my movements as the skirt trails up my thigh, only to look back up in my eyes moments later.

"Uh... no. My dad is establishing his new restaurant here. We moved so we wouldn't have to live far from each other." she answered.

_How sweet. Ick._

I nodded and decided that I might not want to hear more about what sappy story she has about her family. I opened my mouth to ask her, her name, but-

"Ms. Kim. The principal will see you now." Mr. Lim said, earning a side eye from me.

I stood and walked a little before I stopped. I turned to the girl and smirked.

"Welcome to campus new girl. I'll see you around." I said, winking at her and walking to the office. I could see her stiffen on the reflection in the mirror.

I walked in the office and closed the door behind me. I sat in the chair across the principal, a smug look on my face. She looked up and took a double glance. She dropped the pen she held and leaned back on her chair.

"Again Jennie?" she asked while pinching her temple, disappointment in her voice.

"Nice to see you too mom." I replied, the smug look on my face never wavering.

"This is the third time you've been sent here for being caught with some guy." she said, her tone getting close to a lecture.

"Correction," I said raising a finger. "Second time. The first time was with a girl and she was way better than any of the guys I've had." I added, averting my eyes from the ones that looked so disappointed at me.

_It doesn't affect me. Not anymore._

"Jennie, we agreed that you can't keep doing this. You're at school, this is no place to do such inappropriate things." she said sternly.

I sighed, this was getting boring.

"Yeah, fine. Whatever. Give me my detention slip and I'll be on my way." I said and leaned forward, holding my hand out, waiting for my slip.

She only looked at me with sad eyes before handing me the slip.

"Thank you." I said and stood up. I stopped by the door. "That girl outside. The blonde. What's her name?" I asked, not turning back.

"Lalisa. She's a transfer why?" she answered.

"Lalisa..." I said under my breath. I didn't bother to respond to her question and just walked out.

\--

**LISA POV**

"She'll see you now." the girl from earlier said as she walked out the office. I looked up at her a little surprised and then looked at the secretary for confirmation. He nodded and I went in.

I closed the door behind and waited to be asked to sit down.

"Ms. Manoban, we're so glad you chose to join our school. I hope so far we've had a good impression on you?" the principal asked.

"Uh... yeah. The tour was good. I like it so far. The students seem to be... approachable?" I answered.

"Ah, I see you've met my daughter. Yes, she can come off strong most of the time. Did you two make friends?" she asked.

"Oh, no. We just conversed for a little while." I answered and smiled thinly.

The principal nodded and her printer beeped. She took a pink paper out and handed it to me.

"Here is your schedule. The semester has only begun, so there's not much catching up to do. Would you like me to assign you a student assistant? I'm sure they'd be happy to-"

"No thank you." I cut her off. "I'll be okay. I'm sure I can find my way around here." I added.

I put the schedule in my bag and stood. I bowed and walked to the door.

\--

"History... History... History..." I mumbled to myself as I walked through the corridors, looking back and forth between my schedule and the room numbers by the doors. "204." I said quietly.

"Are you lost... new girl?" a voice from behind startled me, making me jump a little. I turned to see a certain brunette with a smirk on her face. Her outfit changed from the one she was wearing earlier today.

"Uh... no. I was just looking for room 204." I answered, my voice a little shaky.

"History. You and I are having the same class." she said. There was a pause between us. 

She must've noticed me gulping and felt my nervousness. Who wouldn't be nervous? I'm in a new town, new school, and there is a girl who's looking at me like she's going to pounce on me at any given moment.

"What's wrong?" she asked, this time her tone a little different from her usual.

"Huh? Oh, uh... nothing. It's just... aren't you the girl from the principal's office? The principal's daughter to be exact?" I asked. "I was just wondering because you're wearing something different." I added.

She nodded.

"Yeah, that's me." she crosses her arms. "I like to change my outfit. It gets hot..." she says and looks me from top to bottom while biting her lip. "during the afternoon." she finishes her sentence.

I felt tense under her eyes. _What is her deal? Maybe it's just her personality? Maybe she's a bully or something?_ I jumped as the bell rang and pulled me out of my thoughts.

"You're jumpy." she states. She lets out a small chuckle and wraps her arm on mine.

I am not used to this type of closeness with anyone, but somehow it's okay.

"You say uh... too much. Be confident with your words, especially when the prof calls on you. He can be a dick sometimes." she began. "First days are tough and I'm doing this because my mom is the principal and she kindly asked me to make sure your first day goes well. First, don't draw too much attention. There are certain cliques here that'll eat you alive. Second, never entertain any of the douche bags here. There are a few exceptional guys, but most of them are just spoiled rich kids... that is unless you prefer girls." she said, raising an eyebrow at me.

"One, I hate attention. Two, you don't have to help me and three... I like to think that I'm flexible with both." I answered.

"Hmm..." I heard her. "You can hang with me and my friends today. Then we'll see if you can keep up tomorrow." she said.

 _Oh, she's one of those girls._ I pulled my hand off her slowly and stopped by the teacher's table. 

"Thanks, but I think I can handle on my own. I don't really need judgement from other people before I can... qualify? To hang with them." I said and took a seat by an empty chair in the second row.

Honestly, I don't need any drama from her or her friends. It's obvious she's the leader of the mean girls.

"That's not what I meant." the brunette said, sitting on my desk. "You're a transfer, the shiny new toy. Everyone wants to know you. I just thought you might want to explore your possible friend groups." she explained.

I looked up at her.

"Thanks for the concern, but like I said. I'm good on my own." I replied and settled my bag down.

"Jennie!" someone called, making us both look into the direction.

A pink haired girl skipped towards us.

"Is it true that you got caught again?" she asked, gossiping.

"You're losing your touch Kim. I thought you were the best in the school?" a shorter girl followed not too far behind.

"Please, they'll get over it. Besides, if anyone asks I'll tell them you're the Kim that got caught." the brunette shrugged.

"Bitch." the dark haired girl said playfully.

I sat there quietly, feeling a little out of place.

"Who's the girl?" the shorter girl asked.

My eyes met the brunette at the question.

"Oh, this is Lalisa. She's a transfer. Be nice." she introduced.

"How do you know my name?" I asked, furrowing my brows. "I don't remember telling you." I added, crossing my arms.

"Her mom's the principal, she knows everyone at school." the pink haired girl answered for her. "I'm Chaeyoung. Chae for short." she said and reached out to shake my hand. I kindly accepted.

"I'm Jisoo. Let go of my girlfriends hand before I bite yours off." the shorter girl said jokingly and smiled before taking my hand.

The brunette chuckled.

"I'm Jennie. These are my friends. I'm hoping you don't shut us out Lalisa. You're interesting." the brunette said.

"It's just Lisa. And like I said before. I'm good." I answered.

\--

**CHAEYOUNG POV**

30 minutes into class and Jennie is still watching Lisa. It's weird, no one can really hold her attention for this long. She gets bored easily and moves on to whoever is next. Jisoo and I are exchanging looks and we're both thinking the same thing.

More minutes passed and class was starting to get boring. Jennie made a few attempts of conversation with Lisa. It was subtle so no one noticed. I had to quietly chuckle at the failed attempt. I looked over to Jisoo who was now... whispering with Seulgi.

I know she told me not to think anything of when she talks with other girls, but how can I not when they're basically all over each other?

I groaned quietly and chose to ignore them in the best that I could until class was over. Jisoo made her way to my table, but I didn't even bother to listen to what she had to say and walked out.

\--

The locker room, the one place I could hide without anyone (who isn't in the basketball varsity team) coming in. I slumped back on my locker and tied my hair up in a ponytail.

"Chipmunk?" a voice called. Obviously Jisoo followed me. I didn't answer. 

_Screw her, she can go flirt with Seulgi for all I care._

"Hey," she said appearing out of the lockers. "What happened to you back there? You just walked out. Is everything okay?" she asked.

I didn't answer. I just turned to my locker to get a change of clothes.

"We don't have practice today..." she said, walking closer.

"Perfect! More time for you to spend with Seulgi." I said sarcastically.

"Jesus, again?" she asked, frustrated.

"It's fine Jisoo. Go on. I won't stop you. It's not like I could, she already has her grubby hands on you." I said, changing my shirt and slamming the locker door shut.

"How many times do I have to tell you that we're just talking?" she argued, trapping me in between her arms as she leans on the locker.

"Then go and talk with her." I said, pushing one of her arms away. I walked to my bag and fixed my things.

"That's the problem with you. You're always overreacting. I can't even talk to someone without you thinking I'm trying to get them in bed." she snapped and hits the locker, making me flinch slightly.

"So it's my fault?" I asked unamused, crossing my arms. "In that case I'm sorry if those girls has their hands all over you. I'm sorry if you're too good of a flirt for them to resist. I'm sorry that you have to put up with my jealous ass all the time!" I yelled, walking closer to her.

"Why are you so over the top with everything? Fuck it Chae I'm tired!" she said and it made me step back. She took a moment before she realized what she said. "I'm tired Chae... I can't keep this up. You're asking me for too much." she said.

Tears began to pool in my eyes. I bit my lip to avoid letting the waterworks go.

"Fine. Then let's just end this if you're tired. I'm sorry for asking you to give me the slightest bit of assurance." I said bitterly and walked away, not bothering to stop when she called my name again.

\--

**JENNIE POV**

"What's her problem?" Jisoo asked as we watched Chaeyoung walk away.

"Maybe it's your inability to keep your girlfriend... not jealous?" I answered teasingly.

"Screw you." she remarked and followed after Chae.

If there's one thing I know about Jisoo, it's that she is the biggest flirt in the school. Her, Chae, and I have quite the reputation. I walked over to Lisa who was fixing her things. 

I didn't know what, but something about her rejecting me attracts me more to her.

"Trouble in friendship paradise?" she asked, not looking at me. She must've seen Chae and Jisoo.

"They'll be fine. It's a whole cycle. Chu flirts with some girls, Chae gets pissed, they make out, problem solved." I answered.

"Sounds like an unhealthy relationship to me. No offense." Lisa said and began walking.

"None taken." I said, catching up to her. "What about you? Any lover lingering by?" I asked. 

"No. And if there was, it's none of your business." Lisa answered. 

_Feisty._

"Ooh, what happened to the nice girl I met at the office?" I teased.

"She met you, formally." she replied.

That made my lips tug upward.

"Wanna come over my place?" I asked, surprising myself.

"Don't you think you're being a little too aggressive with the whole _make my first day okay thing_? I told you, I do okay without friends." she answered, clearly getting annoyed.

We walked to her locker and I leaned on the one beside it, watching her fix her things.

"Who said I wanted to be friends?" I asked, challenging her. Or was it her that challenged me first?

"Look," she says and closes the locker door. "You seem... popular. I know better than to hang out with girls like you. You have that look that'll tell me if I stand by a little longer, I'll only get hurt. Your friends seem nice and I'm sure you're... good people," she hesitated on the last one. "But I need to focus on my schooling rather than making friends." she finished and walked off again.

I thought for a moment before following her.

"Why are you rejecting me?" I asked, curious.

"Did I hurt your ego?" she rebutted.

"A little, but that's not the point. Why do you say no to me?" I asked, stopping her.

"I already told you why," the bell rang. Next period. "I have to go." she says and leaves me alone.

\--

"You what?!" I almost yelled at Chu. This idiot broke up with Chae.

"Look, I felt strangled okay? What did you expect me to do?" she reasoned.

"Uh, I don't know? Comfort her? Reassure her? Not break up with her???" I answered. "What were you even thinking? Chae is like the perfect girlfriend-"

"Yeah, except for the fact that she suffocates me." she cut me off. "I can't talk to anyone without her thinking there's an ulterior motive. I am tired of it." she added.

"You know her past and her present, of course she's going to be like that." I argued. I slumped on my bed, looking at the ceiling. Chu joined me moments later.

"I just... don't want a relationship where we're constantly fighting about the smallest things and avoiding the big ones." she said after a while. "I think we both need this space Jen. We're both sinking and I don't want that for her." she added, clearly she cared about the girl.

I sighed.

"You better find your way back together because I am not accepting any other ship than Chaesoo." I told her.

She chuckled and gave me a side hug.

"Thanks Jen." she says.

"Always." I say, hugging her back.

We stayed in the silence for a little while until Chu broke it.

"So what's up with you and Lalisa?" she asked, almost teasing.

"It's just Lisa and I don't know." I answered and sat up. "I don't get why she keeps saying no to me. I even invited her here and I gave her the legendary smirk you taught me." I said playfully.

"Woah, you invited her here? You've got a thing for her." Chu teased, poking me.

"Haha. Very funny. I don't have things." I told her coldly.

That was my only rule. _Never have things for people_. They'll make you think that it's all sunshine and rainbows until they crush your heart and leave you there with nothing.

"Chill, I'm just playing. Maybe you just find her hotter than people at school? I mean, she is kind of hot... plus she's new." she said, grinning.

"Quit it, you're still fresh off the break up." I scolded her. 

I needed to come up with something to explain why Lisa caught my attention.

_Could it be her dark brown eyes? Her long blonde hair that smelled of... vanilla? Or her ability to say no to me and leave me wanting more of her?_

_The fuck? What am I saying?_

"Maybe I just like the challenge. She says no and no one says no to me." I said. "It's a game. That's all it is. And we both know that I always win."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoy!

**JENNIE POV**

Fifth period, and thankfully the last one. I sat in the back of the class, Jisoo on my right and Chae on my left. It was so weird not having these two talking with each other. I kept glancing at them, hoping one of them would at least talk to me.

A few minutes of silence and I lost all hope. I leaned on my desk, resting my chin on my hand. My eyes wandered the classroom and locked with a pair of dark orbs. I smirked knowing who they belong to.  
The girl quickly turned back to the front and got busy with her notes.

I took out my phone and began typing.

 **ME** _3:15 p.m_  
_I saw you ;)_

 **LILI** 🌸 _3:15 p.m_  
_Who is this?_

 **ME** _3:15 p.m_  
_The hot girl you were looking at_ 😉

A few moments after I pressed sent, Lisa turned back to see me and winked at her. She rolled her eyes at me and turned away.

 **LILI** 🌸 _3:17 p.m_  
_How did you get my number???_

 **ME** _3:17 p.m_  
_I looked through your file_

 **LILI** 🌸 _3:17 p.m_  
_Stalker much?_

 **ME** _3:18 p.m_  
_I'm kidding._  
_I asked my mom_

**LILI** 🌸 _3:18 p.m_  
_Leave me alone will you?_

**ME** _3:18 p.m_  
_Not until I figure you out Lili._

I could see her cringe at the nickname. 

**LILI** 🌸 _3:19 p.m_  
_First, it's Lisa. Second, why do you want to figure me out? There's literally a whole school of fishes for you to play with._

**ME** _3:19 p.m_  
_But they're not you..._

**LILI** 🌸 _3:19 p.m_  
_So what you have a thing for me or something?_  
_Did you fall in love when you saw me?_  
_Give it up Jennie. I'm not into you._

I scoffed at her reply. _Now she's getting bold?_

**ME** _3:19 p.m_  
_I don't fall for anyone and you my Lili are no exception_ 😘 

**LILI** 🌸 _3:20 p.m_  
_Typical_

**ME** _3:20 p.m_  
_What's that supposed to mean?_

I waited then no reply. 

**ME** _3:21 p.m_  
_Hey_  
_Lisa?_  
_Really? You're ignoring me?_  
_Lisa! Don't you dare ignore me!_

**LILI** 🌸 _3:23 p.m_  
_Seriously stop. I'm not playing anymore. It's annoying._  
_Leave me alone Jennie._

**ME** _3:23 p.m_  
_Answer my question first._

**LILI** 🌸  
_typing..._

**************** ** ** ** **

"Ms. Manoban, I see you've made yourself at home." the prof said which made me look up to where he was. "Phone please?" he added, holding his hand out to Lisa. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"But-" the blonde squeaked, but decided not to argue and gave her phone, glaring at me. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I watched the exchange, obviously a little guilty for playing my part. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Detention for you later Ms. Manoban." he told her. 

**************** ** ** ** **

Jisoo and Chae both looked at me like they knew I was somehow involved in this. I rolled my eyes at the scene. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"That would be my fault Mr. Richards." I said, standing up proudly. 

**************** ** ** ** **

All the attention went to me. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"I was texting Lisa about a homework we had on History. I didn't mean for her to get in trouble." I explained. 

**************** ** ** ** **

Total lie by the way. I don't do homework, people do them for me. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I realized that I was getting nowhere with Lisa and I really, really want Lisa. Not anything sweet and romantic. _Ew_. There's something about her that makes me want her in ways I don't want anyone else. She's a mystery, and this game that we're playing, I'll make sure I win. With her being my prize. What better way to do that than to have her to myself during detention? 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Oh, well in that case... you have detention too Ms. Kim." he said and walked over to me. "Phone please." he ordered. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I gave it to him without any protest, only a smug look on my face. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Uh... what was that?" Chu asked once the prof got back to the front. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"My plan going smoothly." I replied. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Care to fill me in?" Chae piped in. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"She can't say no to talking to me if we're alone in detention right?" I said. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Wow, you're really taking this seriously." Jisoo remarked. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Yeah, maybe I should get you two in detention too so you'd talk." I added, leaning back for them to see each other for a second. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"I don't get detention." Chae said coldly. 

**************** ** ** ** **

Chu scoffed and crossed her arms, leaning back on her chair. 

**************** ** ** ** **

\-- 

**************** ** ** ** **

Class ended and now it's my favorite time of the day. The end of it. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I can't say if I'm fortunate or unfortunate about getting detention today. I stayed seated in my seat watching everyone leave the room. Chu and Chae waved me goodbye, but they went own separate ways. 

**************** ** ** ** **

Lisa was slumped back on her chair, pouting about being here. I moved to the seat next to her, making sure the prof wasn't paying attention and looked at her. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"What?" she asked irritated. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"First time in detention?" I teased. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"This is your fault." she told me. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"And aren't the results amazing? Now you get to spend an extra hour with me." I replied, cheery. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"And who says I want to spend another minute let alone an hour with you?" she asked, still refusing to face me. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Come on. It's not like you haven't thought of it. No one says no to me. Not even you." I reply, my voice lower than usual. 

**************** ** ** ** **

She faced me completely. I never noticed her bangs. _They weren't there yesterday. Did she just cut them?_ She licked her lips to begin talking. _They seem soft._

**************** ** ** ** **

"Jennie, I will say this for the last time. I. Don't. Want. To. Be. Friends." she says and my eyes move up to her eyes. There was a short pause. "I am not interested in hanging out or whatever it is you do with your so-called friends. I don't know what your status in this school is, but I don't want any part of it." she adds. "I appreciate the interest in me, but please stop because I just want to peacefully finish this year and move on to the next." she finished and turned away. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I sat there watching her. _Was she really serious about it? Is she not playing games? Was there something wrong with me? Why wasn't I as appealing to her as I was to everyone else? Why am I this affected in the first place? Damn it. I hate this!_

**************** ** ** ** **

I inhaled deeply and nodded, a sense of realization and confusion coming to me. I moved back to my seat and waited for this detention to end, giving her what she wants. 

**************** ** ** ** **

\-- 

**************** ** ** ** **

**JISOO POV**

**************** ** ** ** **

I stayed behind waiting for Jennie to get out of detention. Chae used to be my ride home, but since the whole... breakup... yeah. I leaned by the door frame and a black haired girl, slightly taller than me approached. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"You got detention too?" she asked. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I shook my head. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"No, just waiting for my ride." I answered. "What about you? What are you still doing on campus Seulgi?" I asked, crossing my arms. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"I just finished tutoring a sophomore in English. Honestly, how hard can it be?" she answered, shaking her head and moving closer. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I've known for a while that Seulgi has a thing for me. Not boasting or anything, really. I don't like her like that. I'm just... a natural flirt, but I would never, and I mean **NEVER** cheat on Chae. Well, my ex to be exact. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Oh, I didn't know you tutored." I remarked, meeting her eyes. I always meet people's eyes. It's rude not to look into their eyes when talking. Maybe that's why they think I'm flirting with them. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Yeah... maybe I could tutor you too? On any subject you want?" she offered, hinting at something that was definitely not about tutoring me on any school subjects. "We could do it at my house." she added. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I gulped. _Jesus, these people come at me so strong. I should really tone down the flirting huh?_ I was about to reply when I noticed something in the corner of my eye. A pink haired girl walking away. 

**************** ** ** ** **

_Chae._

**************** ** ** ** **

"Uh, thanks for the offer Seulgs, but I have to pass. I'm not really free." I answered her hurridly before running off to follow Chaeng. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Chae! Chae wait up!" I called. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Leave me alone." she says coldly, but I can practically see her crying. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Chaeng please just let me explain." I said and took her arm. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Let me go!" she demanded and pulled away. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Let me explain then." I told her, almost pleading. I know how it looked from her perspective and I didn't want her getting any wrong ideas. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"I'm not your girlfriend anymore. You don't have to explain anything to me. You're free to talk with whoever you want." she said, wiping a tear off her cheek. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I felt bad that she was crying— no. I felt heartbroken seeing her cry. I broke up with her, sure, but that didn't mean I never loved her truly... I still do and I always will. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Chaeng. I swear, she's nothing. I don't care about anyone but you." I told her. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"You said it yourself, we're done. So just... leave me alone and do what you want. I'm not your girlfriend so go find someone else." she said before turning to walk away. 

**************** ** ** ** **

Every part of me wanted to go and follow her, but fuck, _why didn't I?_

**************** ** ** ** **

\-- 

**************** ** ** ** **

I waited by Jennie's car and I saw Lisa walking out the building. She walked through a group of guys. _BamBam's group_. I know those guys have been asking around about Lisa. It's predictable, she's new, everyone wants to get close to her. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I looked back at the school doors and saw Jennie walking, I waved at her but she kept walking... over to Lisa? I watched as she talked with BamBam and the group. She subtly stepped in front of Lisa, kind of like a barrier between the girl and BamBam. 

**************** ** ** ** **

Most people underestimate Jennie just because she's small, but trust me when I say that girl has major anger issues. A couple more seconds of talking and the next thing I knew, Jennie swung a right hook at BamBam, making him fall to the ground. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Oh shit." I said, watching. Jennie grabbed Lisa's hand and practically dragged her to the car. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Get in." the short girl ordered. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"What?" the blonde asked. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Get in. Both of you." she repeated sternly. 

**************** ** ** ** **

Lisa and I exchanged looks. She got in the backseat and I sat in the passenger's seat. Jennie started driving, a very dangerous look in her eyes. 

**************** ** ** ** **

\-- 

**************** ** ** ** **

**LISA POV**

**************** ** ** ** **

_5...4...3...2...1..._ I counted off before the prof gave me back my phone and let me and Jennie out of the room. I walked out, not minding the brunette that I maybe harshly asked to back off.  
I walked out to the parking lot, seeing Jisoo by a car. _No time for that either._ I continued walking straight and a group of guys called me. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Hey Lalisa!" one of them said. "Come hang with us!" they invited. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I ignored them and continued walking. _Shit_. One of them blocked my way and made me step back. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"I have to go. Please move aside." I said calmly. Now was no time to panic. I'm in school grounds, surely they won't do anything stupid right? 

**************** ** ** ** **

"We just want to hang." one of them said. He must be the leader of whatever this whole thing is. He stepped closer to me. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"I don't have time for you and your posse. Sorry." I snapped. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Ooh, she's a tough one Bam." one of them teased. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Come on, let her go Bam." another one said. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"No, I like it." the guy remarks and takes another step closer. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Back up ass hat, she's mine." I heard a voice say, making everyone turn their attention to the short brunette making her way to us. 

**************** ** ** ** **

_Mine._

**************** ** ** ** **

"Are you deaf or do you have a death wish? I said back up." she spoke again with so much authority in her voice. 

**************** ** ** ** **

The guy did as told, a smirk plastered to his face. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Didn't take you for the possessive type Kim. I thought you were more into one night stands." he told her, raising an eyebrow. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"I couldn't care less what you thought about me. What the hell is your problem, harassing her on her fourth day?" she asked, crossing her arms. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Woah," Bam raised his hands in defense. "Harass is such a strong word. We just want to hang." he added. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Yeah, well hang with each other." she told them, the other guys getting behind their leader. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"What if we hang with you instead?" a guy from the back remarked. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Hell would have to freeze over before I even entertain a single one of you." Jennie scoffed. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Ouch. That kinda hurts seeing as how you're okay being a slut to every other guy... just like your mom-" 

**************** ** ** ** **

Jennie suddenly swung a punch towards Bam, knocking him on the ground. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Fuck you." she says and grabs my hand, pulling me away from them and to her car. 

**************** ** ** ** **

\-- 

**************** ** ** ** **

**JENNIE POV**

**************** ** ** ** **

" _You're okay being a slut to every other guy... just like your mom_ " The words replayed in my head. I followed Lisa to apologize for being... I don't know? Forward? Aggressive towards her. I know that I can be manipulative and pushy sometimes, but when she tells me to screw off then I will. I still have a conscience despite the fact that the whole school thinks I'm Satan incarnate. I follow her and I saw BamBam and his boys corner her and damn was my blood boiling. 

**************** ** ** ** **

Him and his friends are known for cornering girls into certain situations and I'd be damned before I let anything happen to Lisa. 

**************** ** ** ** **

_Geez. Protective much?_

**************** ** ** ** **

It all happened so fast. I was confronting them one minute and the next thing I knew I was throwing BamBam a punch and dragging Lisa to the car. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Jennie!" Jisoo yelled, snapping me back to reality. "Slow the fuck down! You're going to kill us all!" she added, holding tightly on the dashboard and her chair. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I took a deep breath and slowly came to a stop. I stepped out the car and slammed the door. Anger is not my best suit. Lisa was in the backseat, Jisoo was in the front. I'm hoping she's explaining calmly to Lisa that this is not a kidnapping of any sorts. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I took a couple of deep breaths and calmed myself down. I got back in the car and held the wheel. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Where do I drop you off?" I asked Lisa, looking at her through the rearview mirror. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Just over there..." she said quietly, pointing to a restaurant a couple of blocks away. 

**************** ** ** ** **

We drove silently, not a single one saying a word. We reached an unfamiliar restaurant and I wait for Lisa to get off. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I drove off the moment she stepped out, not even looking back at her. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Wanna talk about it?" Jisoo asked, cautiously. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"No." I answered. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Wanna go to Bobby's?" she offered instead. I side eyed her and turned a corner and we made our way to the bar. 

**************** ** ** ** **

\-- 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Words going to go out. You and Lisa-" 

**************** ** ** ** **

"There's no us. Just drop it." I told her and drank my beer. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I had a close friend at Bobby's so we could get drinks easily. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"This isn't just anything Jen. You punched BamBam on behalf of Lisa and that means-" 

**************** ** ** ** **

"It means nothing." I said and hit the table out of frustration. "And I didn't do it on anyone's behalf but mine." I added. 

**************** ** ** ** **

Jisoo was quiet. She drank her beer and stayed that way. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"I'm sorry." I said, breaking the silence. 

**************** ** ** ** **

She shook her head. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"It's cool. I'm just worried about you. Bambam is not one to mess around with." she said, concern lacing her voice. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"I know. I'll deal with him." I told her. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"What about Lisa?" she asked. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"What about her?" I asked in return. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"You seemed... too protective over someone you just met." she said. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I rolled my eyes and took another drink. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"She's new. My mom asked me to keep an eye on her." I answered. 

**************** ** ** ** **

Of course that wasn't it. Who in their right mind wouldn't help the poor girl? _Aish. If only she listened to me and stuck around, none of these idiots would even dare think about her._

**************** ** ** ** **

"Right." Jisoo said, clearly not satisfied with my answer. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"How about you and Chaeng? I saw you talking with Seulgi. Moved on already?" I asked, taunting her. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"We just talked." she shrugged it off. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"And how did Chaeng take that?" I asked. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Doesn't matter. She's not my girlfriend anymore." she said coldly. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I scoffed and shook my head, chuckling a little. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"What?" she asked. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Nothing." I told her. 

**************** ** ** ** **

If there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that Jisoo has never once not cared about Chae. Sure they fight and maybe they've broken up. But with the number of times this girl has called me with her voice breaking or happy because of Chae, it's impossible for her to move on too quickly. 

**************** ** ** ** **

We drank a couple more rounds of beer. I'm pretty good with alcohol, but Chu is not. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I drove her to her apartment building. Her parents are usually overseas, so she doesn't get scolded when she drinks. We're in the elevator and we walk to her house door. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Just go Jen. I'm fine." she said, slurring her words. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Yeah, right." I said and opened the door. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"I swear." she says and stands up properly. "I'm already here. I'll just crash on the couch and I'll be good." she insisted. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"I am not leaving you like this Chu so quit it." I told her. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Yah! I said go! I'm not in the mood for company anymore!" she said, clearly drunk. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I sighed. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Fine. But no more going out okay?" I said. 

**************** ** ** ** **

She nodded and I hugged her. It's useless to argue with a drunk Jisoo, all I can do is agree and trust that she won't do anything dumb. I walked back to the elevator and waved as the doors closed. 

**************** ** ** ** **

\-- 

**************** ** ** ** **

**CHAEYOUNG POV**

**************** ** ** ** **

"Sweetie, dinner's almost ready!" mom said from the kitchen. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"I'll be there in a sec!" I said. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I closed the books on my bed. I'm aiming for law school so my grades need to be perfect. That... and it's in my schedule. I can't really do anything now but study. Dad's orders. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I stepped out my room and I heard the doorbell ring. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"I got it!" I told them. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I opened the door and a girl fell into my arms. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Jisoo?" I asked, confused. "Wha- what are you doing here?" I asked and got a whiff of her. "Are you drunk?" I gritted through my teeth. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"What? No. Of course not." she said, obviously drunk. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Rosie who is it- what happened?" my dad asked alarmed, seeing us. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"It's fine. She's just drunk." I told him and put Jisoo's arm around my shoulder. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Is that your friend? I'll call her parents." he said hurriedly. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"No. They won't pick up. They're overseas right now." I told him. "I'll just... take her to my room. She lives in the apartment four doors from here, but I don't want to leave her there alone." I told him, using my foot to close the door. 

**************** ** ** ** **

He nodded. _Thank God._

**************** ** ** ** **

"I'll have your mom get some medicine." he told me. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Thanks." I said and began walking with Jisoo to my room. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I closed the door behind us, the light was off, but there's some light coming from the window. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"No... Chae don't leave." she said as I laid her down on the bed. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I took off her shoes and covered her with a blanket. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Chae, I'm sorry..." she says and pulls my face close for a kiss. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Chu, not here." I told her and pulled away. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"I'm sorry for hurting you again... I always hurt you..." she says and I go to my closet to find a set of clothes. "You're so good to me and so perfect... I just... I jut wanted to get rid of the doubt." she says, voice wavering. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I sit beside her and help her sit up. I take off her shirt, my eyes staying on her drowsy eyes. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"It's okay you know? You can look." she says and smirks. I put a new shirt on her. "Will that make you love me already?" she asked and it made me stop. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"What makes you think I don't love you?" I asked, taken aback by her question. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Oh Chaengie I love you so, so much. I only flirt with those other girls because I want you. At least all of you. I hate that we have to hide that we're together baby." she says and takes her right hand to cup my cheek. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I remained quiet and still. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"I never wanted anyone, but you never really made any effort anymore." she began. "We've been dating for 2 years now, but why can't you tell the world about me? Are you ashamed? Am I not good enough?" she continued. 

**************** ** ** ** **

Tears fell down my eyes. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Oh... no. Don't cry." she wipes the tears away. "I didn't mean to make you cry again. It's okay. I still love you." she says and kisses my forehead before lying back down. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Rosie." my mom called from the door. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I quickly wipe my tears and turn to her. She held out the medicine and I took it. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"Can I skip dinner for now? I don't want to leave her alone." I told her. She gave me a small smile and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"You're a good friend sweetie. It's okay. I'll tell your dad. Go help your friend." she says, each time she says friend kills me. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I closed the door and locked it. I got back on the bed, sitting beside Chu. It's true. Nobody at school knows we're dating. We're not exactly saying we're not, but we're also not confirming anything. Yesterday when Jisoo called me girlfriend in front of Lisa really scared the hell out of me. 

**************** ** ** ** **

It's not like we had a choice. My parents are very religious and if they found out that I... I liked girls... they'd have my head on a silver platter. Jisoo agreed to keep it hidden from them and not tell anyone at school, but it only meant that we were technically single to the eyes of many. 

**************** ** ** ** **

It's also one of the reasons why Jisoo always has someone flirting with her and I hate that I can't do anything about it. 

**************** ** ** ** **

I brushed my fingers through her hair. 

**************** ** ** ** **

"I'm sorry too Chu... I know it was hard." I told her quietly. 

**************** ** ** ** **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reaching the end of this chapter! How did you guys like this chapter? I was thinking of a different ending for it, but I thought a little Chaesoo angst would be better. Yes, Chae is very much only into girls in this fic. We're going to explore every aspects of their lives. Family drama is coming in the next few chapters. I hope you enjoyed! Sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Finals are done and I was excited to get back to writing. I hope you guys enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!

**CHAEYOUNG POV**

"Don't forget that this weekend you're on choir duty. Oh, and there's some money in your bag, but eat the lunch I packed you first. Order something over the weekend okay?" my mom said, rushing to pick up her things. "Don't drive too fast later and make sure your friend gets home safe." she added. She kissed my head and left the house, my dad waiting in the car downstairs.

Yup. That's the everyday morning of my life. Jisoo came here yesterday drunk out of her mind. My parents were kind enough to understand the situation and let her stay. 

They're on their way to their business flight to New York. They're both lawyers and they have clients waiting in the big apple. They'll be gone over the weekend and I'll be here alone with my sister.

Jisoo's still asleep and I don't want to wake her up. I've been texting with Jennie and she says she's not coming to school. Her and Jisoo both had a little too much to drink last night.

"Is that your side chick?" my sister asked.

"I don't have a side chick." I told her and began making two cups of coffee.

"Yeah? What about a girlfriend? You know the one that's in your bedroom?" she asked teasingly.

"She's my ex." I told her.

Only three people knew about Jisoo and I; Jennie, Lisa, and my sister Alice. She wasn't shocked when she caught me and Chu making out on campus a year ago. I came out to her and didn't have to beg her not to say anything. In fact, she was happy to know I had a girlfriend.

"Yikes. What happened? You two were fine the other day. I even had to pick you up from her place." she asked and sat on the chair across from where I was.

"It's complicated..." I answered.

"Chaeng?" Jisoo called from the corner, rubbing her eyes and her voice hoarse. She was wearing my shirt and it was oversized, so it looked like she wasn't wearing any shorts.

"That's my cue." Alice said and left us alone in the kitchen.

I watched Chu take a seat and groan holding her head.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You came here last night. Drunk." I answered and placed the coffee in front of her. "I asked my dad to let you stay. I didn't want to leave you alone at your place." I added.

"Aish I'm sorry. Jen and I had... too much fun." she said and drank her coffee.

"You two were clubbing?" I asked, curious where they went to drink.

She shook her head.

"Just at Bobby's bar." she answered. 

I nodded. I turned to make her some breakfast. School doesn't start for another 30 minutes, but I'm taking a half day. 

"You don't have to do that chipmunk." she says and I stop. 

"Don't call me that." I told her, not turning cause my eyes are beginning to tear up.

I didn't hear a response, instead she just hugged me from behind and rested her chin on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry... I really am." she says softly.

I didn't move and she turned me to face her.

"I didn't mean anything I said to you in the locker room. I was stupid for even thinking it." she cups my face. "I'm just... really tired of hiding and not being able to tell anyone. I want everyone to know okay? Because I'm so proud to have you as my girlfriend." she adds.

Her eyes told the truth. I wished they didn't.

"I can't do what you're asking me to." I told her and put her hands off me, gently. "Chu, I can't give you what you want. I can't hold your hand while walking along the halls, I can't kiss you in front of people... I can't tell my parents about us." I said, sadly.

"Then we won't, okay? We'll keep hiding. I'm tired of it, but as long as I have you... we'll be okay." she replied sweetly.

"I can't Chu. I can't do that to you." I say quickly.

It hurt to say it. 

_Of course I want you back. I always want you in my life, but it's not fair to you if we just keep hiding._

"Chae please..." she said, pulling me into a hug.

I closed my eyes and let a tear fall down. 

"I'm sorry..." I tell her and pull away from the hug. "Help yourself to... anything. I need to prepare for school." I said and rushed to my room.

I pace around, trying to hold in my sobs. My heart aches for not being able to say yes to her, but she deserves better than this.

\--

**LISA POV**

I'm sitting in History and looking around the classroom for a certain brunette. I never got to thank Jennie for what she did yesterday. Granted she can be annoying, but I still owed her for "saving" me from those guys.

"Looking for someone?" a girl asked, sitting beside me.

"Uh... no. I was just... looking around." I answered and turned my attention to my own space.

"They're not coming to school. At least Jisoo and Jennie aren't. Chaeyoung is taking a half day." she said and started applying her lip tint.

"How come?" I asked, not looking at her. 

"Not sure, but my guess is Jisoo got wasted, Jennie is upset, and Chaeyoung is taking care of one of them." she answered and I looked at her. "But, of course you knew that." she turned to me. "You're Jennie's new girl... or toy. I don't really care. Just be careful of her. She's the school's heartbreaker." she says and puts her lip tint back in her small pouch.

"I'm not... her girl." I say quietly.

"Oh really? Word around is... she just claimed you hers." she states.

"What?" I asked confused. "Who said I-"

"Jackson. He's BamBam's friend. He also said Jennie practically punched a hole through BamBam's face yesterday when he tried to... confront you." she said.

I pursed my lips inward.

"I'm not her girl. She was just... being nice and he was being-"

"It doesn't matter what he was being. Jennie stood up for you against BamBam and that's something. She's the most popular girl on campus. Everyone wants to either be her, be with her, or kill her. There's no in between." she began. "She only has two friends, Jisoo and Chaeyoung. She doesn't socialize much, if she does it's because she either wants you or wants to destroy you." she continued. "You're different. She stood up for you against BamBam who by the way wants her head now and... she actually takes interest in you." she finished.

I furrowed my brows. _Why is that anyways?_

"What's going to happen then?" I asked, curious. Concerned? Maybe a little.

"To what? You and Jennie? I don't know figure it out yourse-"

"No. I meant BamBam and Jennie." I cut her off.

"Oh, he's probably going to do something big that'll cause a fight with her and who knows what Jennie will do. Nobody knows what's going on in her head." she answered.

The professor came in and class started. 

\--

It was lunch and admittingly, it was kind of weird having majority of the student body watching me. I could sense their eyes following me and I could hear them whispering among themselves. I took a seat in one of the empty tables and everyone seemed to gossip more about it.

"Hey," a girl greeted me, sitting in front. "What's up?" she asked.

"Hey... nothing. I'm just having my lunch." I answered her.

"Jennie and Jisoo are both hungover. It's just me and you today." she added.

"Yeah. I was told." I said and began eating. I could still notice the lingering stares. "Do you by any chance... know why people are looking at us?" I asked.

She looked around and then looked at me. She let out a small chuckle.

"It's an unspoken rule kind of thing? This is Jennie's table. Nobody sits her but her and us. Don't worry, Jennie likes you, you can stay." she answered. 

I raised my eyebrows.

_She likes me?_

"That's actually a thing? I thought those only happened in movies." I remarked and got back to eating.

She looked around again and took out her lunch.

"It's Jennie. She's royalty here." she says. "But I don't think that's the reason why everyone's staring... did something happen while I was gone? Why is everyone looking at you?" she asked, emphasis on the word you.

"Oh. Um... it's nothing big. Some rumor is going around saying Jennie _claimed_ me hers after she punched BamBam yesterday and _saved_ me." I said, making quotation marks with my hands.

Chaeyoung's eyes widened.

"She what?" she asked, shocked.

"BamBam tried to get me to _hang out_ with them after detention yesterday, she stood up for me." I said. "Why is it such a big deal to everyone?" I asked and looked around again.

"Okay, uh... how do I explain this?" she said to herself. "Okay, Jennie is like the queen and BamBam is the king of their respective kingdoms and they're basically rivals." she explained. "BamBam and Jennie were a thing back then, but something happened between them and he hated her for whatever it is." she continued. "Basically they became mortal enemies and divided the school in half... if you get what I mean. BamBam _controls_ the East wing and Jennie the West." she finished.

I had a confused look on my face, but I kind of understood.

"So what does it mean if Jennie stood up to him?" I asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Jennie doesn't stand up for anyone. She barely even acknowledges BamBam's existence. She also doesn't get angry too easily, but when she does, she sees red. If she punched BamBam, I'm sure it wasn't because of you. People must've misinterpreted after knowing that you were with her when it happened." she answered.

I nodded and continued eating.

How is it possible that it's just the first week and I find myself in this situation?

\--

"Hey daddy!" I greeted my dad in the kitchen from the counter. "Busy day?" I asked and put on an apron.

"Hey sweetie. Yeah, but we're okay. How was school?" he asked, flipping something in the pan.

"Today was... weird. Need any help?" I answered.

"No, no. Just stay there. If someone comes in, accommodate them." he said and smiled at me.

I nodded. My dad owns this restaurant. An investor insisted that he start the restaurant here in the US. The first plan was for him to move here alone, but mom insisted we all moved, hence forcing me to transfer to that international school.

I heard the door open and picked up a pad and paper from under the counter. I saw a girl walk by and sit in the table in the corner. I followed her to take her order.

"Hi, my name's Lisa. What can I get- Jennie?" I asked and furrowed my brows and the brunette looked up at me.

**JENNIE POV**

"Lili? What are you doing here?" I asked the blonde standing in front of me. Jisoo said there was a new restaurant nearby and she wanted food from there. Since I didn't know if they delivered, I came instead. 

And just my luck, I get a lovely surprise.

"Don't tell me you're working here." I said and looked around.

"No. My dad own this place and— it's Lisa. He's the chef. I just help around." she answered. "You weren't at school today." she added.

"Miss me already?" I teased.

"You wish." she scoffed, he lips tugging slightly upwards. "What can I get you?" she asked.

"You." I playfully answered.

"I'm serious." she told me, crossing her arms.

"I am too." I smirked.

She sighed deeply.

"You're not actively avoiding me today... did I do something wrong?" I asked, making the vibe lighter.

"I'm taking your order and... it would be wrong to tell you to get lost after what you did yesterday." she said and paused. "Thank you." she added and gave me a small smile.

_She's cute. Her smile is cute._

"Oh, that whole bit? Yeah. It's nothing. I should be the one apologizing for almost killing us with my driving." I said. "I'll have two sets of your best meal and... I don't know a bunch of dumplings if you have any?" I ordered.

She nodded and didn't write it down.

"Hey Cass, ask daddy to make two servings of his special Ramen and some dumplings please. Thanks." she said to a nearby waitress.

"Daddy? Are you a sugar baby or something?" I asked jokingly.

She hit my arm and sat down across from me.

"Ow." I said playfully.

"I'm still amazed by how our generation sexualized the word daddy." she let out a breath and chuckled lightly.

It made me smile hearing her chuckle.

"Well, they sexualized the word baby first." I rebutted and pursed my lips.

She squinted her eyes at me.

"Touché." she says and we both laugh quietly.

"Does you sitting with me now mean you and I are making progress?" I asked, curious about this new and less hostile side of her.

"Jennie, I'm really thankful for what you did yesterday. We're cool, but I still don't know if I want to be in your friend group if it means getting involved in this school hierarchy drama." she answered.

"First, I am the queen, that is a fact. We can't escape that. Second, remember what I said before, I never said anything about being friends." I replied, smirking.

That made her smile a little.

"Okay, how's this? I'll join you for lunch, chat with you, but I am not going over to your place or following you into some closet somewhere. And! You have to stop flirting with me because you are not my type." she said playfully.

"Ouch. Never been not one's type Lili. You hurt my feelings." I said, putting my hand over my chest and making her giggle. "So basically you're saying, you'll be my friend... but nothing more?" I clarified.

She took a deep breath and tapped on the table.

"C'mon, I did save you after all... and, I injured my hand punching that guy." I playfully said.

"Wow, some hero you are asking for payment." she said jokingly. Her eyes moved to my hand. "I didn't ask you to punch him and it was definitely not because of me." she added playfully.

"Yeah, but he deserved it." I chimed.

She chuckled softly again. _It's addicting. Her laugh it's... addicting._

"Fine. I'll be your friend. But the moment I get in trouble. You're dead." she told me.

"Well that didn't take much convincing after all." I said teasingly.

"Please, you tailed me for a week and it took the help of a bunch of guys before you could get the slightest bit of attention from me." she said proudly, leaning back on her chair. "I might even go as far as to say that you might have a crush on me Jennie Kim." she said, wriggling her brows at me.

"Woah, slow down there Lili. I don't do crushes." I said, putting up my hands in defense.

She chuckled again. _Damn._

"I know. I'm just playing." she says. She nods her head towards someone and gets up. "I hope you enjoy the food." she says and leaves me alone, while Cass? brought the food over in a paper bag.

\--

"You seem to be in a good mood." Jisoo said as I laid the food out on the table of her apartment.

"Yeah, just ran into someone at the resto." I answered and sat down. I'm starving, I haven't eaten anything since this morning.

"Oh yeah? Who?" she asked.

"Lisa. Her father owns it." I replied.

"Did she kick you out?" Jisoo teased.

"No. In fact, she'll be joining us for lunch from now on." I said proudly and started eating my Ramen.

"Look at you getting her to say yes. Congrats!" she joked and started eating hers too.

We continued eating for a while, Chu even played a movie. I have to say, Lisa's dad makes really good ramen.

"What happened to you last night? I thought we agreed you'd go home? Why'd you go to Chaeng's?" I asked, even though the answer was obvious.

"I was drunk and stupid. Just forget it." she said and fixed her eyes on the tv.

"What's wrong? You can't look me in the eye when you're hiding something." I said and put my Ramen down.

She slowly turned to meet my eyes. She hesitated for a moment, but Chu never hides anything from me when I ask.

"I tried to get back with her this morning, but she said she didn't want to. She said it wasn't fair to me that we were hiding." she answered. Chu hates crying in front of people, I am no exception. The only person she's ever cried to was Chaeng. I could see the pain in her eyes as she spoke. "I just want her back Jen..." she adds softly.

"Well... unless she can find the courage to come out to her parents... I don't think that's happening." 

_Damn it. Can I be sympathetic for once?_

"I mean, you two won't really be happy unless you're out... and I think Chae knows that, so she's... taking her time. Waiting. She loves you Chu... but you can't expect her to come out just that easily." I explained. "You two will find your way back to each other. There's no doubt in that. It'll just take some... time." I added.

**JISOO POV**

**\-- A Year Ago --**

_I ran through the senior hallways with Chae's hand in mine. We were giggling and tying to keep quiet._

_"Shh... do you want to get caught or something?" I asked her, giggling myself._

_We're not allowed in the senior hallways which is exactly why we chose to hide around here. No one would see us... no one would out us. Chae and I have been dating for a year now and we agreed that we weren't going to tell anyone if we really are dating or not. Only Jennie knows and she completely supports us._

_We turned a corner and I pin Chae to the wall. She's smiling widely at me._

_"You look really beautiful..." I tell her and tuck a strand of her messy hair behind her ear._

_She rolled her eyes at me and pulled me in until our lips connected._

_My hands held her waist and kept her pinned to the wall, her arms snaked around my neck as the kiss became deeper._

_"I'm sorry..." she says when we pull away for a short breather, my lips chasing after hers._

_I furrow my brows and rest my forehead on her._

_"How come?" I asked softly._

_"We're in the senior halls hiding from everyone. I know you deserve better than this. You deserve to have someone who will hold your hand in the halls and kiss you without being scared of anyone telling their parents. You deserve-"_

_I kissed her, cutting her off._

_"I deserve you. Someone who loves me because they love me. Someone who won't leave." I told her._

_Chae is always sensitive with topics like these. She's not out to her parents so we can't go around school saying we're each other's girlfriend. It also doesn't help that there are a good number of people throwing themselves at me from time to time. She always gets jealous, but I'll never get tired of assuring her that she's the only one._

_"So you won't get tired of hiding? Of not being... out?" she asked, looking for some comfort in my eyes._

_I smiled at her softly._

_"Chipmunk, even if it's 10... 20 years. If I get to be the one hiding with you, then that's all that matters." I assured her. "Besides... I'm out to the whole world, I'm just waiting for you." I teased, earning a hit on the arm._

_"There's only you. I love you chipmunk." I said and pulled her closer than she already is._

_"I love you too." she replies and meets our lips again._

_What started out as a soft and gentle kiss turned into something aggressive and demanding. I bite her lower lip and she allows me entrance. My tongue teasing hers. She's panting in between, trying to catch her breath. My hands, travelling on her sides. She moans softly. It's music to my ears._

_"Rosie?" someone from behind me calls her._

_Chaeng is Korean, her parents call her Rosie, her English name while everyone knows her as Chae, short for Chaeyoung, her Korean name. Ironic huh?_

_Both our eyes go wide as her sister Alice walks up to us, looking around._

_"What are you two doing?" she hissed._

_"Alice- I- Uh..." Chae began stuttering._

_"We we're just talking." I answered for her._

_Alice gave me an unamused look._

_"You weren't talking. You two were having a steamy make out session." she said with a slightly disgusted look on her face._

_I held Chaeng's hand from the back to let her know I'm here just in case her sister starts saying things she shouldn't._

_"I'm not an idiot Rosie, I know what a make out session looks like. I'm asking why the hell you're doing it out here in the senior hallways." Alice clarifies._

_We both gave her a confused look._

_"What?" she asked. "Are you expecting me to yell? Throw slurs at you? Please, it's not like I haven't noticed that you two are closer than regular best friends. News flash you're not as subtle as you think." she tells us and crosses her arms._

_"You're not mad?" Chae asks, letting our held hands fall to her side, showing it to Alice._

_"Mad? Why would I be mad? Because you're into girls? Hell no! Screw mom and dad's beliefs. Love who you love Rosie." she says. "I'm just worried because people might see you two making out. You're really brave for doing it out here in the hallways for a secret couple." she adds._

_"We just thought that no one would recognize us here..." I said for Chae, who was silently looking at her sister._

_"So, you're really not mad?" she asked again._

_Alice looked at her and her face softened._

_"Chae" she began, putting a hand on Chae's shoulder. "I'm not mom or dad. My beliefs are not outdated. You can love who you want to love and I'll be here to support you. I'm not them. I'm your sister who is really proud that you're brave enough to love someone despite our parents." she said, looking deeply into Chae's eyes._

_My girlfriend started crying and Alice pulled her in for a hug. It was nice to be a part of this moment. Seeing how accepting Alice is of Chae warmed my heart, it was nice to know Chae would have her by her side._

**\-- Present Day --**

_"You're being unreasonable Chae!" I said loudly as I followed her through the halls of the apartment._

_"Why don't you tell that to Giselle, maybe she'll give a damn about it." she snapped back._

_"I told you, we were only talking." I argued as she stopped by a door._

_"Then go talk with her." she says and turns to open the door with her keys._

_"Chae" I call her as she tries to open the door._

_She ignores me._

_"Chae" I call again, this time much calmer._

_"I got it okay!" she snaps and keeps trying._

_"That's my door." I calmly say._

_She stops and lets out a frustrated groan._

_I opened the door with my keys. She's still standing by it and I invite her in._

_"Come on, let's talk about it. I don't want to sleep tonight with you angry." I told her and wait for her to come inside._

_"We were just talking and I didn't-"_

_Chaeng's lips crash into mine. It took a moment for me to balance myself and when I did, I kissed back, pulling her body close to mine._

_"Tell me I'm the only one." she says, pulling away for a moment._

_I nodded._

_"You are chipmunk. You're the only one." I say and our lips meet again._

_It becomes deeper and more needy. She takes off her blazer and we make our way to the couch. The back of her knees touch the set and she falls on her back, I hover on top of her. I pull my vest off and meet our lips again._

_Her hands begin to unbutton my shirt while I trail kisses down to her neck. I hear her moan and tilt her head sideways, giving me more access to her neck. I suck and lick at her pulse spot, my knees moving closer to her center._

_She whimpers softly, but loud enough to send shivers down my spine._

_"Chu..." she calls. "Chu..." she calls again, this time louder._

"Chu!" I open my eyes to the sudden call of my name.

I looked around and saw Jennie looking at me with furrowed brows.

"You were having a nightmare or something." she said and stands back up.

"What happened?" I asked, looking around. I'm in my apartment.

"You passed out halfway through the bottle. You should really quit drinking if you can't handle it." she remarks and takes the bottle of beer off the ground.  
"Where's Chae?" I asked.

"She's not here. It's just you and me." she says. "Listen I have to get back home or else my mom's killing me. Will you be good here?" she asked, taking her bag.

I nodded.

"Alright. Don't go to your ex's house okay? Get some rest." she said before walking out the door.

It was a dream yet it felt so real. _Come back to me Chae I want you to come back..._

I let out a sigh and started cleaning up around the apartment. It sucks to live alone, but most of the time Chaeng would be here to keep me company. 

A couple of minutes of cleaning and I hear a knock on the door. I opened to see who it was, but there was no one there. Instead, there was a paper bag and a note.

_Here's some food for dinner. Don't skip meals. There's some tea here too. I left instructions on how to make it inside. Don't drink anymore, let your stomach rest. Take care._  
Love,  
Chaeyoung🖤 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reaching the end of this chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it! What did you think? Do you want more fluff or angst? Or something else👀 Would love to hear your thoughts! Sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors! See you in the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! A new chapter, same story! I hope you enjoy this one! I've got a surprise for the next chapter so hang in there!

**JENNIE** _3:24 a.m_  
_Lili..._  
_Hey_  
_R u up?_  
_Lili?_

**LISA** _3:27 a.m_  
_What??? I agreed to have lunch with you already. Leave me alone._

**JENNIE** _3:27 a.m_  
_Are we back to being cats and dogs?_

**LISA** _3:28 a.m_  
_It's 3 in the morning let me sleep_

**JENNIE** _3:28 a.m_  
_Are you doing anything tomorrow?_  
_Well, technically later?_

**LISA** _3:28 a.m_  
_Go to sleep Jennie_

**JENNIE** _3:28 a.m_  
_If I do will you hang out with me tomorrow?_

**LISA** _3:28 a.m_  
_What makes you think I'll even think about it?_

**JENNIE** _3:28 a.m_  
_Because you like me_ 😏  
_Lisa?_  
_Lili?_  
_Lisaaaaa???_  
_C'mon!!! It'll be fun!_  
_I promise!_  
_I won't bother you for the rest of the weekend? I swear_ ✋  
_Join me?_  
_It's just going to be in the morning, I'll have you home by lunch_  
_That is unless... you want to stay_ 😏

**LISA** _3:30 a.m_  
_Ugh, fine._  
_Just let me go back to sleep_  
_And no._

**JENNIE** _3:30 a.m_  
_YES!! It's a date!_  
_I'll pick you up tomorrow!_

**LISA** _3:30 a.m_  
_What date?_  
_It's not a date_ 🙄  
_We're not going on a date._  
_Jennie?_  
_Jennie???_  
_JENNIE???_

\--

**LISA POV**

I groaned as I rolled out of bed. Jennie woke me up at 3 a.m just to ask me to hang out with her. I swear to God she is going to be the death of me. 

I rubbed my eyes and put on my slippers. I walked out to the kitchen and mom and dad greeted me.

"Good morning sleepy head. How was your sleep?" dad asked.

I gave him a thumbs up, my eyes half closed. I proceeded to make my morning coffee. Granted it's not necessary, but I love the taste of coffee in the morning. I moved like I was a robot programmed to do it every morning.

"Sweetie I think you should hurry, you don't want to keep your friend waiting." my mom said from behind, setting the table.

I nodded dumbly.

"It's okay Mrs. Manoban, I don't mind waiting for Lili." a voice said from behind. 

I furrowed my brows and stopped moving. I quickly turned to see Jennie sitting at the table drinking coffee with my dad.

"Jennie?" I asked with wide eyes. "What are you- Why are you here?" I added, a little panic stricken. 

_Seriously this girl. Oh, shit! I'm in pj's._ I covered myself up with my hands to avoid further humiliation.

"Don't worry Lili. You still look good in pajamas. I have to say, you make great coffee Mrs. Manoban." Jennie said and she turned to my mom.

"Oh, it's nothing." my mom said, obviously flattered.

"Jennie?" I called, composing myself.

"Hm?" she responded, turning to me again. 

"Let's talk." I said and pulled her to the living room. "What the hell? You can't just come to my house unannounced." I hissed.

"I didn't come unannounced. I told you I was picking you up. You were still sleeping and I told your parents not to wake you up. I was about to leave and let you be, but your mom invited me in for coffee." she said, her tone light.

"Why'd you say yes?" I asked, utterly confused what the hell was up with her.

"She insisted. Plus, I told you I wanted to hang out with you." she answered.

I pinched my temple.

"Jennie. I agreed to be your friend, but you cannot just come to my house like this." I scolded her.

"I told you, your mom insisted. I'll leave right now if you want me to." she said, offering to walk out the door behind her. "I'm not trying to be invasive Lili. You're interesting to me. I just want to know more about you." she reasoned.

"Because you like me or something?" I asked.

"I told you. I don't do those kinds of things." she said seriously.

"Right, you like to just play around. Then why the effort?" I replied.

She paused for a moment.

"I don't know. I guess that's something I'll have to find answers to." she answers, looking at me like I was a puzzle she needed to solve. "So, do you want me to leave or not?" she asked.

I thought for a moment and contemplated.

"What are we even going to do?" I asked out of curiosity.

She smiled.

"I was thinking of going to a café with you, but your mom already gave me coffee. How about a tour around town?" she suggested. "You've been here for a week and all I see you do is go to school, to the restaurant, and home." she adds.

"You follow me around?" I asked. "Wow you are a stalker?" I added, crossing my arms.

She chuckled softly.

"I don't have to follow you to know. Tell me, where around town have you been?" she answered, smirking a little.

I rolled my eyes and dropped my arms.

"Stay here and wait for me." I said and went to my room to change.

\--

**JENNIE POV**

I tapped my fingers on the wheel and sang along to the music on the radio. I nodded my head to the beat and turned to see Lisa watching me with an eyebrow raised.

"What? You don't like music?" I asked. 

I was surprised that she actually agreed to come with me. I was ready for the rejection, not that I cared if she did reject me. I kinda thought she forgot when I came by to her house today when her mom said she was still sleeping. Honest to God I was going to leave, but her mom was... sweet and insisted for me to stay. So I did. 

"On the contrary, I love music. It's just that... you sound a little bit off key." she says teasingly and looks out the window.

My jaw drops slowly and playfully at her comment.

"Lili, why do you always have to hurt my feelings?" I asked, putting a hand over my chest, pretending to be hurt.

She chuckled and it tugged my lips upward.

"So where are we going? You tell me you're giving me a tour around town and we haven't stopped anywhere. You still owe me for dropping by at my house unannounced." she says her tone going from friendly to stern real quick.

"I told you already, I gave you a heads up. And there's really nothing much to see here." I told her.

"Then what am even I doing out here with you?" she asked, clearly regretting her choice to tag along.

"Keeping me distracted so I don't end up in a closet with one of the desperate boys and girls who are begging me to take them." I answered confidently.

Lili hit my arm a little hard and rolled her eyes... again.

"Ow! Do you want us to die in this car?" I exclaimed, of course, I'm only kidding with my tone.

"Wouldn't that be nice for you? Dying by my side." she asked playing along.

"For me? It benefits you the most!" I rebutted.

"Why? Because everyone wants you and it's a pleasure to die with you?" she asked, unamused.

"Exactly!" I said proudly.

"Too bad. I'm not like everybody." she says smirking and looks ahead.

I slightly turn to her.

"Exactly." I say quietly, smirking.

It is true though. Everybody does want me. They're all fun and nice to play with, but something's always missing. And don't tell me it's that bullshit called love because love is for suckers.

"Seriously Jennie, where are we going?" Lili asked after a while.

"My house." I answered with a straight face.

"What? I told you I'm not going with you to-"

"Calm down. I'm kidding. We're going to the beach." I interrupted her before she can start complaining again. She's cute, but she has a knack for complaining.

"The beach? I'm wearing shoes. I don't want sand in my shoes." she says.

"Not the beach, beach. I meant the fair by the beach." I explained, setting the car to a halt. I pointed at a tall ride and she turned her head to see the fair. She seems impressed given that her mouth parted at the sight.

I stepped out the car and opened the door for Lisa.

"A gentle woman. Impressive." she says and steps out.

"Only for you Lili." I joke.

"It's Lisa." she corrects me.

"I like Lili better. Only I call you that. It kinda feels like you're my-"

"Yours?" she scoffs and leans into my ear. I gulp at the feeling of her lips slightly touching my lobe. "I'm no one's property Jennie." she says quite seductively in my ear. 

Shivers go down my spine, I feel everything go to my core. She pulls away slowly with a smirk plastered to her face. _Fuck! She's so ho- No. You can't let her have power over you Jennie._

She begins walking away and turns back. _Damn, her back view is as hot as the front. Shit._

"Are you coming Jennie?" she calls, smiling playfully this time.

_Oh Lisa... you are going to be fun._

\--

**LISA POV**

The fair isn't that bad. It's actually quite fun. I expected Jennie to be Jennie and try something... I don't know ridiculous? But so far she's been... behaved. I'm still upset that she just showed up to my house, which by the way I have no idea how she got my address.

I laugh at her as she fails to pop one last balloon to win the grand prize. 

"Aww, is the really popular girl sad she couldn't get what she wanted?" I teased.

It's kind of a surprising switch in me. I don't like it when she's flirting or whatever with me, but since she doesn't stop, might as well have fun with it and play along. Seeing her reactions to the smallest thing I do is fun to watch.

"I was trying... to get the big unicorn for you." she says as she takes the medium sized nemo stuffed toy.

I sighed.

"Sorry Nini, I don't like unicorns... or fishes. And you're not my girlfriend, so don't tire yourself too much from trying." I said and patted her head before beginning to walk.

I can hear her scoff in the back. 

_You want to play games? Let's play games._

"So, how are you enjoying our date so far?" she asked, catching up to me.

"Date? I told you. This isn't a date." I reminded her and kept walking.

"Well," she says and holds my hand, making me look at her questioning what she's doing. "We're at a fair, we're alone together, I've won you about five prizes now, I say it's a date." she continues and flashes me and playful smile.

I groan and pull my hand from her hold and walk faster.

"Lili I was kidding!" she says and jogs to catch up with me.

"Screw you Kim. I'm walking home." I say annoyed.

_Of course she got to you._

"Wait! Lili. I'm joking!" she says, I can hear her catching her breath.

I keep walking. About a minute later, I don't hear another word from her. I turn around to see if she really left. I furrow my brows and see her crouching and holding her stomach. I walk over to her, not because I'm concerned, but because I'm... curious.

"Are you sick or something?" I asked, lacing my voice with... subtle coldness.

"Keep going, I'll catch up with you in a minute." she says, panting.

"I wasn't even walking that fast." I remark and watch her try to catch her breath. I turned my head uncomfortably seeing her. "Okay, seriously what's going on? Do I need to call someone or something?" I asked, my heart starting to race.

She shook her head and took a deep breath. She stood up again and straightened herself.

"No. I'm just out of breath. It's normal, I lose my breath easily." she says. Her breathing becomes normal again.

I let out a sigh of relief.

"I thought you were dying or something." I say and roll my eyes.

"Why? Would you give me cpr?" she asked, getting back to the old Jennie.

"You're unbelievable."

"And you're-" she stops mid sentence. I look at her and she's looking off in the distance. I follow her eyes and there I see a familiar pink haired girl.

"Hey, isn't that-"

"Yeah." she cuts me off and starts walking towards her.

I follow behind and keep my safe distance from the drama that's obviously going to unfold.

"Chae!" Jennie calls, grabbing the attention of the girl. "What are you doing here? Is Jisoo here too?" she asks, looking around.

"Jennie. Hi." she says surprised. "Uh, no. It's just me... and Jackson." she answers as a guy appears beside her. He's tall and has kind of a spiky-messy hair. He hands her a cup of ice cream and turns his attention to Jennie and I.

"Oh, hey Jennie." he greets nicely.

"Jackson. What are... what are you two doing here?" Jennie asks. I watch her carefully. There's something different with the way she's talking to him. _Wait. Jackson? Like, Jackson from BamBam's gang?_ "We just came from service. I asked Chaeyoung if she wanted to go out and-"

"Go out?" Jennie interrupted. I saw her slowly clenching her fist.

Chaeyoung gulped.

"Yeah, her mom kind of face timed me and asked if I could keep Chaeyoung company for the weekend." he continues.

Chaeyoung inhaled sharply.

"What about you Jennie? What are you doing here?" she asks, her expression a mixture of guilt, fear, and calling for help. 

Jennie's fist clenches more.

"We're on a date." I chimed in. I take Jennie's hand in mine and hope to the almighty that she calms down before starting a brawl in the middle of a fair. "We were actually just going to go get some tickets to ride the coaster." I added, feeling Jennie calming down somehow.

"Oh," Chaeyoung says a little surprised. "That's... that's nice." she says.

"Well, we're going to get going. We wouldn't want to intrude on your date." Jackson says. _He seems like a nice guy._ "Oh, by the way. I'm sorry about what happened the other day Lisa. I should've stopped Bam- yeah." he says, not mentioning his friend's name.

He puts and arm around Chaeyoung and they walk away. The girl looks back at us before disappearing with Jackson in the crowd.

"Okay, care to explain why you're so worked up about- Jennie? Jennie?" I turn to the brunette who's staring at our held hands. "I'm guessing you forgot all about that." I say as I let go slowly.

"Sorry," she says, eyes not leaving our once held hands. "I just didn't expect that." she admits.

"Why were you worked up about that whole thing?" I asked.

"It's nothing. We should go." she says and begins walking towards the exit.

"Hey, I'm curious. Humor me will ya? At least I'm not telling you off." I say lightly, following her this time.

She takes a deep breath.

"Jisoo and Chae broke up the other day. They haven't made up since." she begins. "Chae isn't out to anyone but me, Jisoo, and her sister. I guess that includes you now." she continues. "Her parents are very religious and they've been setting up Jackson and Chae for a while now. Don't get me wrong, Jackson's a good guy. He's different from his deranged friends, but he's not what Chae wants and she's not going to be happy with him." she adds.

"Then why is she with him?" I asked. I hate gossiping, but to see Jennie get worked up over it was a little bit worrying. Not that I worry about her.

"My guess is, Chae's parents asked Jackson to make the first move. They probably want them to start dating and build a foundation for their supposed future." she answers, frowning at the thought.  
I nodded. I kinda felt bad for Chaeyoung. She seemed nice, might even be nicest amongst the three that I've met. 

"So what's going to happen now? Are Jisoo and Chaeyoung going to get back together?" I asked. I really shouldn't be prying on other people's business.

"Not unless Chae comes out completely and stands up for what she wants, no." Jennie answers. We reach the exit and she looks at her watch. "Come on, I'll take you home. It's almost lunch, don't want your parents thinking I can't keep my word." she says and takes my hand as we walk back to the car.

I don't say anything when she does. Maybe it's a reaction to what happened a couple minutes ago, so I let it slide just this once. Though, now that I really let myself think about it, her hands do fit well in mine. Like a puzzle piece that fits perfectly into place. It's warm and soft. It's... unexpectedly nice.

\--

**CHAEYOUNG POV**

_Crap._ I hoped I wouldn't bump into anyone from school at the fair today, much less Jennie. _Oh, I'm screwed if she tells Jisoo._

Jackson invited me to join him today at the fair for some unwinding. He's a good guy, but I don't like guys like that. He doesn't know and I know my mom is at the bottom of all of this.

"So, where do you want to go now?" he asked. He's holding a small bag of popcorn for me.

"I'm not sure..." I answer respectfully.

"You're not having too much fun are you?" he asks. He's always been a gentleman, one of the few in the school. Surprisingly, his best friend is also BamBam, the school's ass hole.

"No... not really... sorry..." I answer softly.

"It's okay, no worries. It was all sudden anyways." he says making the mood lighter. "How about I just drive you home? Would that be better? You could get some rest and we can just hang out another time." he suggests.

I nod.

"Thanks Jackson. I really appreciate it." I reply and smile at him.

\--

"So, I wanted to be honest before we got you home." Jackson began. We were in the elevator and he was getting a little fidgety. "Your mom actually face timed me and asked when I was going to court you." he reveals.

I give him a shy look and a thin smile. I really hate being in this position. Usually Jisoo would've already chased him off, but she's not here and for a good reason, one neither one of us liked.  
"Yeah, I figured." I said softly.

"I've actually been thinking about it for a while now." he says and the doors open. We step out and continue walking. "I've had sort of a small crush on you..." he confesses and blushes slightly when I look up at him. "I just didn't have the courage to ask you out because you seemed to be taken... but I asked around and everyone said you weren't dating anyone that they knew of so, I kind of took this as my shot." he adds.

_Yes I am- was._

"No. I'm not dating anyone as of this moment." I tell him as we reach my door.

"Oh, well, do you think that maybe I could... court you?" he asked nicely.

I was about to say no, I'm not interested, but a part of me said I had to especially after my mom asked about Jisoo.

"I- I'd be okay with that." I answer him.

He smiles widely.

"Great. Uh... I guess I'll see you around." he says.

He attempts a hug, but decides not go through with it. He instead smiles and walks back to the elevator. 

I quickly take out my phone as soon as I get inside and text Jennie.

**ME** _2:45 p.m  
Jennie. Let me explain._

**JEN😎** _2:45 p.m  
Explain what? You're lack of honesty with your girlfriend or the fact that you've completely lost your mind?  
Oh wait. They're the same._

**ME** _2:46 p.m  
Meet at Bobby's?_

**JEN😎** _2:46 p.m  
I'll meet you tomorrow. I'm driving over to my dad's. In the meantime, why don't you tell Jisoo about our little run in first._

I sighed. I don't blame Jennie for the way she's acting. Her and Jisoo have been best friends since... well, I think since they were kids. I only joined them in middle school. She's always been understanding of my situation, but she also wants me and Jisoo to be happy, that means finding the courage to come out to the world. She's always been protective of Chu. I get why she's like this towards me. I don't blame her.

I decided to get off my phone and take a walk. I needed to clear my head because clearly, I have no idea what I'm going to get myself into.

I ended up in a restaurant new to the neighborhood and just sat there. I looked at the menu lazily till a girl sat across me.

"Lisa? What are you doing here? Is Jennie with you?" I asked upon seeing her and looked around for my friend.

"No. She dropped me off about an hour ago. This is my dad's restaurant. I'm supposed to be taking your order, but I don't think you're here to eat." she says.

"I usually am when I go to restaurants, but yeah... I'm not really here to eat." I admit.

"Wanna talk about it?" she asks nicely. For someone who doesn't want a friend, it was weird having her approach me like this.

"Unless you have a cure for a broken heart and being a coward, no I don't think so." I answer.

She purses her lips.

"You know, my mom used to tell me that if you have a broken heart, change something about yourself. Obviously not for anyone but you, but I guess it's supposed to give you some sort of... pass? It lets you let go a little piece of the past." she says.

"Oh yeah? What would you change about me?" I asked, crossing my arms and leaning back.

"Hmm... do you know any salons nearby?" she asked and a smirk formed on her face.

\--

**JENNIE POV**

"Dad?" I called while knocking on the door. "Dad! Open up! It's me!" I say loudly when he didn't answer the first three times.

"Jennie?" he says as the door opens. "What- what are you doing here? Does your mom know you're here?" he asked, moving aside to let me inside.

"No and I don't care." I say walking in. I place the paper bag filled with groceries and dinner from Mr. Manoban's restaurant. "I got you some groceries and dinner, I thought you needed a restock." I said and moved to open the fridge. "And I was right." I say, looking at the empty fridge.

"You didn't have to sweetie. I'm doing fine by myself." he says as I put the groceries in.

"Tell that to your empty fridge and your messy apartment." I say, gesturing to his indeed messy home. "You should really get yourself together dad. I can't always remind you of what to do." I say, continuing on my task.

"I'm not asking you to remind me of anything. You're doing it all yourself." he says.

"Yeah, and the fact that I have to just proves my point that you gotta pull yourself together." I say and close the fridge. I set the table and then move to clean the small apartment.

"You should really stop visiting. I love you, but the contract says-"

"I don't give a fuck what it says. You're my dad. I'm seeing you when I want to." I snap at him.

I return to cleaning and I feel his hand on my shoulder. I stop and turn to him.

"I'm sorry that it had to be like this... but we can't keep breaking the rules or else we're going to get into much more trouble than we already are." he says calmly.

"Then get yourself together and fight for me. I don't care if we live in this small apartment or drive an old car, I just want to be with you dad. I hate it at mom's. Please." I pleaded with sorrowful eyes.

"I'm sorry honey..." he says and I sigh.

I should be used to it. I've been asking him for 2 years and yet nothing has happened. I'm just waiting to turn 18 next year so I can finally move out and leave my mom and her new husband. 

"Eat your dinner dad. Don't let yourself get hungry. Get some rest too." I say and kiss his cheek before getting out of the apartment. 

_This is all her fault._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys enjoy this chapter? I hope you did! Thank you so much for sticking with me through these four chapters. I promise, we've got more juicy content to come in the future! See you in the next chapters and sorry for any grammatical and spelling errors!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!!! I'm really excited for this chapter! We're calling it a checkpoint chapter. It's longer than my last few chapters and will probably be my longest for a while. Don't worry, I'm not going to go on a hiatus after 5 chapters. I just think that in this checkpoint chapter, we're going to see things really change and start on a new story flow. I'm excited for you guys to read it because I had way too much fun writing it. That being said, I'll let you go on and read.
> 
> OH OH OH!!! I almost forgot, there's some mature scenes in this chapter. I'll put up a warning before and after the scene so if you're not comfortable reading it or you just don't want to you can skip it. Also, this is my first time writing smut, so if I disappoint, my bad! Enjoy!!!

**JENNIE POV**

Sun's up and I roll out of bed. I hate slacking in the morning. Either you get up or you sleep through the whole day. I check my phone while brushing my teeth, because is there any other way to start the morning?

**LILI** 🌸 _11:47 p.m (yesterday)  
Thanks for today. I had fun despite the unexpected encounters :)  
Don't you dare think this is me starting to warm up to you_🙄

I smiled at the message. _Of course not Lili._

I spat in the basin and washed my face. I looked in the mirror and contemplated on whether I should put on light make up, but it's Sunday and I'm not going anywhere, so barefaced Jennie it is. I made my way to the kitchen and sat down. Breakfast was already prepared and I stuffed my face with the blueberry pancakes prepared just for me.

"Jennie!" a little girl called cheerfully and hugged me from behind. I smiled at the hug, this was the only one that I liked in this house.

"Morning short stack." I greeted with a smile. She sat in front of me and began eating my pancake. "Hey! That's mine! Is nobody feeding you around here?" I say playfully.

She giggles at me and her cute uneven teeth show.

"I already ate breakfast, but your pancakes look delicious." she says and takes another bite.

"Oh, in that case, have at it." I say and move the plate over to her. I watch as she chomps down on the food. I look around and see that we're the only ones in the apartment. "Where's mom?" I asked.

"Groceries. She tried waking you up to ask if you needed anything, but you wouldn't wake up. You actually looked dead. How come you don't move when you sleep?" she answered and playfully gave me a scared look.

"That's because sometimes I wish I was." I playfully tell her. She doesn't hear it, too busy eating.

_Kids._

I hear some shuffling in the other room by the stairs. I don't pay much attention to it and focus on Ella.

"So, how was school this week? Did Danny Clayton finally tell you what his secret was?" I asked, taking a slice of bread and eating.

"He said he liked me and he wanted to be my boyfriend." the six year old said, earning a pair of raised eyebrows from me. "I told him I didn't like him because he looked like Chris Evans." she added, making me furrow my brows.

"What's wrong with Chris Evans?" I asked, curious as to what's going on in my little sister's head to think a Chris Evans look alike is not a good face.

"I don't like Chris Evans, he's a boy." she simply answered.

I thought for a moment about what she meant by it and quickly caught on.

"Ah, I see. I feel bad for Chris Evans Jr. but I'm glad to see you know what you like." I tell her and mess up her hair a little bit. I got up and proceeded to make myself a warm cup of coffee. Coffee is always perfect in the morning.

"What about you Jennie? What do you like?" Ella asked. This one's always had a curious mind.

"I like..." I begin and bring my coffee back to the table. "To play with people." I finish, smirking and taking a sip. She tilts her head trying to understand my answer.

"I meant, what do you like about the person you're in love with?" she clarifies, as if I didn't get it the first time.

I sighed. 

"I don't fall in love Queen Elsa. I'll leave that to the suckers." I answer her, humored.

The door opens and mom comes in carrying a bunch of grocery bags. I help her put them on the table and look to see behind her.

"What, no puppy trailing behind to help you?" I asked, referring to the guy she comes home to in this house.

"No. Derek is driving the car to the shop to-"

"I don't really care. I just wanted to ask so I could call him a dog." I interrupted, giving her a taunting smile.

My mom rolls her eyes at my rudeness. It's been like that for almost 6 years. My dad and mom were in a rough patch when I was 11. She disappeared for months and came back with Ella. At first, I was confused, but she told me she was my little sister. My dad wasn't as happy to see Ella, but he cared for her and still loved her. When I was 12, my parents started arguing more than usual. I turned 13 and my dad completely moved out. At 14 I was involved in a bunch of court meetings about "child custody" and that was when my mom won over my dad. 

Turned 15 and some guy comes into the picture and moves in with my mom. Of course, I don't have a say in it. At 16 she divorces my dad successfully and remarries the same year. She gets promoted from Science teacher to school principal in the process. My dad isn't allowed to see me for some reason both he and my mom refuse to tell me. Now I'm 17 and is forcefully living with my mom and her pathetic excuse of a husband Derek.

"Jennie, do you mind texting Derek to pick up some milk on the way back. And could you tell your brother to come out and have his breakfast already? The food's going to get cold." she said, putting the groceries in the fridge.

"I do mind. And he's not my brother." I reply coldly. I flash Ella a weak smile and walk out the kitchen. I text Derek to get some milk and bang on the door of the room by the stairs.

"Get up dimwit! Breakfast!" I yell so that the idiot behind the door hears me. 

I walk back to my room and slump myself on the bed. I scroll through Instagram and see a video of Jisoo at Bobby's. I squint and zoom in on the video. _What the fuck?_ Some girl was dancing with Chu. Scratch that, these bitches were grinding on each other. Seriously, if Chu and Chae keep acting like this Chaesoo will cease to exist.

Wasn't it only yesterday that those two came out to me all nervous. Who knew Chae, the perfect daughter of two very "holy" parents would turn out to be a lesbian who would fall for Chu, a girl who drowns her sorrows in alcohol and occasionally attempt murder on any guy who even dares think of asking Chae out.

**ME** _8:39 a.m  
The hell were you doing with Irene last night?_

🐔 _8:41 a.m  
Bobby threw a party_

**ME** _8:41 a.m  
I wasn't invited?_

🐔 _8:41 a.m  
You were, but you were out of town_

**ME** _8:42 a.m  
Care to explain why u and some girl were fucking grinding on each other or did you forget about Chae?_

🐔 _8:44 a.m  
I was drunk  
I think I still am_

**ME** _8:44 a.m  
Have you two talked?_

🐔 _8:44 a.m  
I left her drunk messages last night  
besides that no_

**ME** _8:45 a.m  
I meant about Jackson._

🐔 _8:45 a.m  
???_

I closed my phone. Of course she didn't tell her. 

I was supposed to talk with Chae about this whole situation with Jackson. I needed to make it clear to her that if she even thinks about agreeing to anything, I will mess her up because no one can hurt my best friend as much as her... and no one hurts my best friend.

I decided not to reply to Chu, maybe she'll pass out and forget about it. I went to my desk and set up my printer and connected my camera to my laptop. I scrolled through the hundreds of photos on my sd card. I scanned each that had a good aesthetic look, checking if it was worth putting into my portfolio.

I'm applying to Julliard next year and I've been compiling my works since the beginning of the year. Every photograph, play, song, even dance, you name it and I have it in my portfolio. Call me an overachiever, but if you lived my life, you'd be doing anything you can to get out of this hell hole too.

I begin organizing the photos into a file dubbed Escape and start deleting what isn't necessary. I hear a knock on my door and Ella walks in.

"Okay, I'll tell her." she says, talking over the phone. _My phone._

"Hey, what are you doing with my phone?" I ask and open my arms to welcome her. 

Ella is my half sister. I don't really know who her dad is, mom wouldn't tell, but I love her. Yes, she's the little girl my mom brought home when I was 11. 

"You left it in the kitchen. A nice lady called so I picked up." she answers and falls into my arms.

"Oh yeah? Who's the nice lady?" I ask, taking the phone into my hands.

"Lili! Like the flower." she perks.

I froze. _Lisa called? Why did she call? Did she want to talk to me? Was it a prank call? What did she say?_

"Ella, what did the nice lady say?" I asked, excited on the inside, but calm on the outside, not getting ahead of myself.

The little one played with my hair.

"She said that there was a party and she was inviting you. She said to go to the restaurant." she answered.

My eyes grew wide and excitement overwhelmed me. Nope. Wait. Wrong reaction. I was chill and didn't spring up and run to my closet to find something pretty to wear. Yeah, that seems about right.

**LISA POV**

"But I don't understand why you had to invite the entire school. It's not like I know everyone." I whined, following my dad into the kitchen of the newly, but temporarily designed restaurant.

"I told you, we're doing good with business and I want to celebrate. Besides, I didn't invite your whole school. I invited the whole town, it's an open party." he answers me. 

My dad had this amazing idea of throwing a huge party if the business did well on the first week. It did, and here we are. I called Jennie earlier to see if she saw the posters that my dad surprisingly managed to put up yesterday, but a little girl answered instead. 

I have to admit I was a little disappointed. I kind of wanted to hear how Jennie would react if I invited her myself.

"Sweetie, it's a good way for you to make friends. Socialize. You barely do that anymore." dad said, putting down the pasta he just made.

"That's because I'm on a scholarship. I have no time for friends." I reasoned.

We're not poor or anything, but we're also not rich. This restaurant is my dad's last savings and the school I'm attending offers a scholarship. It's a big help for him not having to think about what he's going to pay for every semester.

Being the only child means all attention goes to me. My parents want the best for me, but sometimes it can be a little too much. Get high grades, don't drink, don't hang out with the wrong people, don't do anything fun. Heck, this might even be my first party.

"Go put on something nice, the party should begin in an hour or two." my dad says sweetly. He kisses the top of my head and gives me a small pat on the shoulder.

\--

Two hours later the party is happening. Not one student came. Expected. I sat by one corner, bored out of my mind. I scrolled through my phone seeing the pictures of my old friends back in Thailand. 

One of the pictures included me in it _Miss you Lalisa! Hope you can come home soon!_ it read.

I stay like that for another half hour until a shadow casts over me. I look at the person blocking the light and I'm met with a short black dress worn by none other than Jennie Kim. My eyes roam from the bottom of her dress to her eyes, unable to unglue my own from her. 

I unconsciously drop my phone. Picking it up, I nervously glance back up at her. I don't get why my heart is beating so fast, it's not like she could affect me that much right? It's just Jennie... in a short black dress that is making me feel hot and sweaty.

"J-Jennie. What're you doing here?" I asked. I gulped and lick my dry lips.

"You called and said there was a party. I'm here... for the party." she answers, her lips tugging upward to a smirk. Damn, I wish I could take that smirk off her face.

"Oh, well... um... welcome." I say dumbly. 

"Ahem." someone says from behind Jennie. "Hi there." Jisoo says from behind Jennie, grabbing my attention for a moment. "Yeah, I'm here too." she adds playfully.

The pair sat on the chairs across from mine. I got tense when Jennie's legs brushed against my own.

"You know, when you invited me to this party, I was expecting loud music and neon lights." she says looking around.

"I didn't invite you. I mean I did but- this is my dad's party. Not mine." I say, my voice a little shaky. "I don't even think it's a party. It's just a bunch of grown-ups who came for free food a nobody I know came so-"

"I came." she says. "It's not what I expected, but I still think it's worth it." she adds and gives me a wink.

This time I don't roll my eyes, instead, I feel something inside that I can't quite explain.

"That's because everyone's at Bobby's where we should be." Jisoo groaned.

"Bobby's?" I ask. I haven't been anywhere but school, home, here, and the fair. I am completely clueless about what Jisoo was talking about.

Jennie raised her eyebrows at my interest.

"If you want we can take you there?" she offers.

"I can't leave. I have to stay here with my dad." I answer her, a little disappointed at the fact.

"Not even if we sneak you out?" Jisoo offered.

I gave her an indifferent look.

"You two should go. I have to... help my dad anyways." I say and get up as well.

"Yes! Come on Jen she said we could go." Jisoo cheered.

Jen elbowed her best friend but kept eye contact with me.

"I don't think I should. What if you get bored? Who are you going to look at?" Jennie flirted.

"Wow, as if I'll ever look at you." I scoffed.

"Weren't you just doing that?" she asked, smirking. Again.

I let out another scoff.

"Just go already before I kick you out myself." I said and begin pushing the two out, Jennie chuckling quietly.

"Sad you couldn't enjoy this much longer Lili. Call me if you ever change your mind." she says and helps herself out. I didn't think it would be that easy to make her leave.

\--

"Was that Jennie?" my mom asked while washing the dishes in the kitchen. I put on some gloves and join her.

"Uh, yeah. She just came by because she saw the posters." I answered.

"Who was that she was with?" she continued the conversation.

"Jisoo. Her best friend." I answered plainly.

"They seemed dressed up. Did they invite you somewhere?" she asked.

"Yeah. I mean no. I mean yes. But I told them I couldn't go." I answered, rinsing a plate.

"Well why not?" she asked again. 

"Because I have to stay here and help dad and you." I say and put away the dish.

My mom stops me and I meet her eyes.

"Go." she says. "You're too focused on helping us, you're forgetting to have fun. You're 17 Lisa, go enjoy being 17." she adds.

I give her a thin smile and nod softly. I give her a quick hug and leave the kitchen, pulling out my phone I sent a text to Chae.

**ME** _9:42 p.m  
Hey, are you going to that party at Bobby's?_

**CHIYONG** 😛 _9:44 p.m  
Yeah, why?  
U going too?_

********

**ME** _9:44 p.m  
I was hoping I could._

********

**CHIYONG** 😛 _9:45 p.m  
Want me to pick you up?  
I don't mind_☺️

********

**ME** _9:45 p.m  
My house  
Where you walked me yesterday_

********

**CHIYONG** 😛 _9:45 p.m_  
👍

********

\--

********

**JENNIE POV**

********

I feel my chest beat along with the loud music, my eyes are closed and I'm dancing to the music. I've had about 2 shots of Bobby's special mix and already I think I'm drunk. I sway my body along a vast ocean of them, all crammed in a night club. Bobby owns the club here in town, nobody's ever been able to compete with them.

********

I feel hands on my waist as my body moves, I open my eyes to lock with a random auburn-haired girl. She's pretty, sexy, good dancer. She pulls me closer, making our body's touch. Her hands slowly make their way down to my ass. Honestly, I usually don't mind. I mean I can't blame them if they think I'm hot. There was something different this time though.

********

I move her hand back up to my waist, uninterested in hooking up with a random stranger tonight. She makes another attempt and that's when I groan pull away from her. Sometimes, people just can't take no for an answer. I leave the dance floor and head for the open bar.

********

"This one's from Bobby." the bartender says and hands me another shot.

********

"Where is Bobby anyways?" I asked.

********

The bartender shrugged his shoulder and got back to work.

********

I drink the shot and cringe from how strong it was. Bobby's specials are always bound to leave you wasted. I look over to the dance floor and see Jisoo dancing with some girl. I contemplate whether I should go over and stop her, maybe remind her that she was just asking Chaeyoung to take her back a while ago. 

********

I decided not to. As much as I want them to get back together, maybe they do need this. Meet new people, discover new things about themselves, who knows maybe Chae and Chu will have a realization that there's really no one in the world fit for them but each other.

********

I turn back to the bar. _Which one do I drink next?_

********

"What can I get you?" the bartender asks someone beside me.

********

"Oh no. I'm not drinking. I'm just here to see how long this girl takes before she notices me." the person answered.

********

I smirked, at the sound of the voice. I turned to the person amused, and quite impressed.

********

"Didn't think you'd actually come." I say, staying in my place.

********

"Yeah, I got curious what Bobby's was." they answered.

********

Lisa was wearing a matching silver outfit that perfectly traces the curves of her body. My eyes lingered on the outfit for a while, it was like a whole new side of her really. I was so used to seeing her wear casual outfits that this seemed like a major change.

********

"Are just going to look at me all night?" she pulled me back to the real world.

********

"Don't act like you weren't doing it earlier tonight when I came to see you." I replied playfully.

********

"Okay, but it's not like I was undressing you with my eyes." she playfully defended herself.

********

"I bet you wished you were." I smirked.

********

"Jennie!" she hissed, chuckling at the remark.

********

It's nice to see her like this. It's just a little weird that she's not telling me to get lost, but I'll take whatever she gives me. 

********

"How'd you know where Bobby's was?" I asked her, moving closer since the music was loud and I'd have to scream if I didn't move closer.

********

"I called Chaeyoung. She came and picked me up." she answered, her voice loud, competing with the music.

********

I look behind her and there's no one there. I look around and try to find the pink-haired girl.

********

"So where is she?" I asked, turning back to Lisa.

********

"I don't know. She said she was going to go dance." Lisa answered.

********

I nodded and for a moment there was a comfortable silence between us.

********

"So are you going to ask me to dance or do we just stay here waiting for something to happen?" Lisa asked breaking the silence.

********

It was so unexpected. It was like it was a whole new person. What happened to the Lisa that wanted to shoo me anytime I got close?

********

"What happened to shooing me?" I asked, curious and intrigued.

********

She only smiled at me before taking my hand and pulling me to dance.

********

\--

********

**CHAEYOUNG POV**

********

Lisa texted me if I could pick her up to go to Bobby's famous weekend party. Of course, I said yes, I was on my way there myself. I knew where she lived, yesterday I walked her home after we had a visit to the salon. She was right when she said a new look could help me feel better. 

********

I pulled over at her house and honked the horn, waiting for her to come out. Soon enough she did.

********

"Damn girl, if I didn't know better I think you dressed up for someone special tonight." I teased as she got in the car.

********

"Please, I'm just playing along with Jennie's games." she said and got in.

********

I have to admit, Lisa is something else. No one's been able to "resist" Jennie at the school. Well, not really no one, but it was so rare that someone would. Lisa is one of those special people that manage to say no to Jen.

********

I began driving and Lisa shifted in her seat.

********

"Are you... nervous?" I asked, glancing at her from time to time.

********

"What? No. It's just that this is kind of my first actual party and—"

********

"Wait. What?" I asked shocked. "How is this your first-party? I mean you look like you could be the school's it girl." I said. 

********

No lies. Lisa is really good looking and she carries herself in a way that can really intimidate someone.

********

"Yeah, shocker right?" she replied. "I'm not one to go to parties. I usually stay at home and study or help my parents around. I'm not like everyone at school you know?" she said. 

********

"Are your parents that strict?" I asked. "I know a thing or two about strict parents."

********

"No, they're just... working hard. We don't have the same amount of money everyone does so I have to compromise along with them so I don't add up to the things they worry about." she said.

********

"That's... really sweet of you." I remark, giving her a soft smile. "But don't you wish things were different?" I asked, not really wanting to pry, but Lisa seemed like someone worth knowing.

********

"Hmm..." she hummed. "My dad's at a risk of losing everything if the restaurant fails, my mom wants to help but there really isn't anything she can do unless dad lets her out of the house, and I'm depending on my scholarship to keep going to school..." she listed. "But my dad is a hard worker and does everything to keep the family sustained and happy, my mom keeps everyone taken care of, and I'm doing my part by not being a pain in the ass... so no. I don't think I'd want to change anything. I think we're perfect the way we are." she finishes with a smile.

********

Wow, Lisa really was one of a kind. Not many people can be contented with what they have and it's nice to see that she is.

********

"What about you? I'm guessing you go to party's every week?" she asked, moving the topic to me.

********

"Oh, trust me. I may be Jennie's friend, but I haven't been to half as many parties as she has." I answered. "My parents are lawyers and very, very religious. Parties are a no no for them. I usually sneak out like right now when they're out of town." I added.

********

"Oh, rebellious." Lisa remarked and we both chuckled.

********

"So Bobby's. What should I expect?" she asked, looking out the window.

********

"The usual. Neon lights, loud music, alcohol, maybe drugs." I answered.

********

She raised her brows at the answer.

********

"That's pretty wild." she says. "Does Jennie..."

********

"No. Jennie only goes as far as drinking. No drugs. She's decent if you really get to know her. As her friend, I think you should give her a chance." I quickly answer her.

********

"A chance to what? Sleep with me?" she asked amused.

********

"Trust me, if she wanted to sleep with you, she already would have."

********

"So she doesn't want to sleep with me despite her always hinting at it?"

********

"I'm not really saying that. I'm just saying, Jennie gets what Jennie wants... and I don't think she's sure what she wants right now."

********

"And you do?"

********

"I have a suspicion, but I don't want to assume."

********

There was a moment of silence.

********

"Why me of all people? Is it because I'm new?" Lisa asked.

********

"Maybe. Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that you're someone who Jennie sees as different and special." I answered, leaving Lisa with her thoughts.

********

We arrive at the club and already the loud music can be heard. We make our way inside and Lisa's face says how amazed she is. My eyes find their way to Jennie who was making her way to the bar. 

********

Looking around again, my eyes land on a certain raven-haired girl.

********

"I'm gonna go dance, you should go have fun." I tell Lisa, nodding my head towards Jennie.

********

She nods and makes her way to the brunette and I make my way to the dance floor.

********

I dance along the sea of bodies and find myself a partner, unexpectedly in Jackson.

********

"Hey, I didn't know you'd be here. I would've picked you up." he said, happily surprised.

********

"Hey, totally last minute. Wanna dance?" I answer quickly and we start dancing.

********

My eyes lock with a girl. My girl. She looks surprised. Well, I can't blame her, I turned my soft pink hair into blonde, but I think she was more surprised at the fact that I was dancing, sexily might I add, with Jackson. A guy.

********

Trust me, I wouldn't if only I wasn't burning up with jealousy over the fact that Jisoo was already dancing with some other girl, and she seemed to be really enjoying the way their body would crash into each other.

********

It instantly became a heated competition to see who could make the other one more jealous. Jisoo knows exactly how to tug at my strings, but I know exactly how to make fumes come out her ears.

********

I turn from Jackson, my body pressing against his. I move his hands from my waist to wrap around my exposed stomach. I pull his head closer to my neck till I can feel his breath on my skin. I close my eyes and feel the music as my body dances in perfect rhythm with his.

********

I can feel Jisoo's intense stare already. I look over to where I saw her last and found her already stomping off. 

********

"I— I have to go." I tell him, leaving him there as I chase after Jisoo.

********

\--

********

Bobby is one of Jennie's closest friends. Usually, that also means Bobby's our friend too. People often try to use us to get to Jennie. Being the daughter of the principal has its perks and everyone needs those perks. Bobby's... different for sure.

********

I follow Jisoo into the hallways of the club. Fun fact, this club has a second floor filled with rooms for people who find the need to crash for the night or just... have some fun. By that I mean sex. Bobby owns a club and a motel.

********

"I can't believe I was so stupid to think that you actually cared about this relationship! No wonder you said no when I tried to get back with you. Jackson? Of all people why Jackson?" Jisoo said angrily as I followed her through the halls. "I mean, I didn't think you were into Jackson, a total plot twist by the way." she continued, stopping to turn to me with the biggest frown. "But you could have at least been honest with me! If you wanted to be with him, I would've let you go if it meant you being happy! You didn't have to use being in the closet to get out of a relationship with me." she added.

********

Seriously, if Chu doesn't stop to let me explain my side on why I'm with Jackson and why I was acting the way I was, I'm going to do something that I might regret.

********

"How long has it been huh? Weeks? Months?" she asked, making me furrow my brows.

********

"You think I cheated on you? With Jackson? Seriously?" I asked appalled. "For your information Kim Jisoo, I am not attracted to men. I only like girls and by that I mean you."

********

"Then why the hell are you dancing with him? Letting him touch your body? Why did Jennie ask if we talked about Jackson? What the hell is going on?" she asked in one breath.

********

"If you shut up and let me explain then you'd know." I replied, crossing my arms.

********

She rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. 

********

"Fine. Explain your side of the story." she says.

********

I took a deep breath to prepare.

********

"My mom wants Jackson and me to date." I say, earning a scoff from Jisoo. "It's not like I had a say in it. She practically planned the whole thing. She suspects something between us Chu. She asked about you." I told her. "Jackson is... an escape to being outed." I added.

********

She doesn't say anything. It kills me with all this silence between us. I wish that I could—

********

"It hurts you know." she says. "I hid for you... whatever you were comfortable with I went along... I even defended you when Jennie said it was a little unfair, even when my parents said I deserved better I told them there's no one better than you." she continues in a sad tone. "It hurts because even when I did all that... you would still choose to be someone you're not instead of being with me. I fought for you Chaeng. I would fight for you. I will always fight for you. But now I can see that you can't do the same." she adds, her words cutting through me like a sharp sword. "I love you, more than words could ever say. I know you love me too, but I... I know I'm worth fighting for. I'm sorry Chaeng." she says and walks away.

********

********

******\--MATURE SCENE AHEAD BE WARNED--**** **

**  
  
**JISOO POV**  
  
**

********

Walking away from Chaeng has never been something I did, usually, it was her walking away from me because she was hurt, but now it's the other way around. As much as I love her, I can't keep hurting myself for someone who can't fight for me. I look like an idiot trying to chase after her.

********

As I'm about to make a turn by a corner, I feel a pair of hands turn me. Soft cherry lips crash into mine and I fall against the wall. These lips hungrily come after mine, kiss after kiss. I feel Chae's soft hands hold my neck, her lips trail kisses on my jaw. 

********

"What are you doing?" I asked, panting, out of breath.

********

"I don't know." she replies, momentarily looking up.

********

There's a door by the wall, I twist the knob and it opens. We move inside the room, not bothering to lock the door. Our bodies pressed against each other. I switch our positions and now she's the one pinned and I'm in control. I meet our lips again. My knee moves up to her center, pressing on it. She moans, throwing her head back into the wall, and start grinding her hips. I can feel her wetness through her underwear.

********

"Chu... I need you." she pleads.

********

I carry Chae, her legs wrapping around my waist. I lay her down by the bed and I hover atop her as my hands travel along her sides, my lips attacking her exposed skin. It's not enough. I need more of her. I pull away and take off my top, she mirrors me and trail kisses down her chest. 

********

I know this is something we both might regret, but right now I'm intoxicated by her. I want her and I know she wants me. This may be the last time I hold her in my arms like this, but right now she's mine and I'm hers.

********

I move closer and closer to her center, my mind is in a haze. Minutes ago I was walking away from her and now, I'm here, completely compelled by the way she moans and squirms under my touch. Her hips buck when my hands find their way to her womanhood. It's clothed, but the pressure is enough for her to roll her eyes backward.

********

"Fuck. Chu I need more... please." she whines after a short moment. She was practically grinding on my hand.

********

I usually would tease her for a few more minutes, but right now I just want to give her what she wants.

********

My hands move to the zipper of her skirt, I pull it down and take the garments off her. I disregard the rest of my clothes as well and we're both left naked. I admire her exposed beauty because she really is beautiful. No one compares to Chaeng's body. 

********

"You look beautiful Chipmunk... you always look so beautiful." I tell her quietly before moving back to run my tongue along her folds. She lets out a loud moan and I become an addict.

********

I play with her nub, sucking it, licking it, my hands travelling up and down her thigh. I dive my tongue into her entrance, her back arches. Her hands find their way and tangle in my hair, pulling her head closer, making me go deeper into her.

********

I pull out after moments only to replace my tongue with two digits. I go back to sucking her button and my fingers do their work, pushing in and pulling out at the right pace. I use my free hand to hold one of her mounds. Her walls tighten around my finger, I know she's about to reach her climax. I pick up my pace, hitting her g-spot each pump.

********

She becomes undone after one last push and help her ride out her high. She's panting and sweat glistens on her forehead. I move up to lay beside her, her eyes droopy and tired. She musters up enough strength to kiss me, but I know better than her and push her off gently.

********

"It's okay, just rest." I tell her.

********

"But you need to-"

********

"No. Just... be here." I tell her.

********

She nods and lies on my arm. Her head rests on my chest and my fingers brushing through her hair. A few minutes of silence and I can hear her quietly snoring. I kiss the top of her head and close my eyes, drifting off to sleep myself.

********

****

********

**\--END SCENE--**

********

**  
******  


** LISA POV **

********

Jennie and I have been dancing for almost an hour now. It's nothing dirty, just pure fun. It's really something I didn't expect. I've laughed a couple of times tonight now, especially whenever I see Jennie glaring at someone who got close to me or even attempted to.

********

By the time the music changed for the nth time, the brunette is already pulling me to the bar. We're panting and trying to catch our breath, I can see clearly that Jennie is having a harder time doing so. It's similar to when we went to the fair. Her hands hold her stomach and she stands straight when she notices me staring.

********

"I'm fine Lili. I told you, I just get tired easily." she assures me and chuckles.

********

"Then maybe you should stop partying and go home." I told her.

********

"And miss out dancing with you? No way!" she replies quickly. She taps the bar counter and waits for someone to attend to her.

********

"Well, well. If it isn't Jennie Kim. Who's your date this week?" a girl asked, wiping a glass with a towel as she approached. She had dark black hair with blue highlights. It looked really cool especially under the lighting of the club.

********

"Bobby." Jennie says surprised. "I thought I'd never see you again," she adds, a smile forming on her face. She hugs the girl over the counter and they chuckle. "This is Lisa, she's my unexpected date," she says and I give the girl a small smile.

********

"I've heard so much about you... and your parties." I say, shaking her hand.

********

"All good things I hope." she says.

********

"Of course. I just didn't expect you to be... a girl. Nothing wrong with it, I just thought since Bobby is commonly a boy's name that, you know." I answered.

********

"Close. I'm a she-they and I totally understand. And Bobby isn't my real name. In middle school I used to sell bobby pins, so the nickname just stuck." they say. _Cool_. "Now I'm curious what made you think that being here with Jennie guarantees you a night of fun. She's really boring you know." she adds.

********

"Right, because I'm the one who spends hours locked up in an office trying to count numbers." Jennie says, playfully rolling her eyes.

********

"What can I say, I'm a growing business." Bobby shrugs.

********

The two share a laugh and I can't help but feel something weird. It's like irritation of some sort.

********

"Hey, don't count yourself out of it too kid, who knows, maybe in the near future you'll finally say yes to my offer." they add.

********

I furrow my brows, curious about the offer. I didn't dwell much on it though.

********

"So, seeing as you two can still hold a conversation, I'm thinking you're both sober. We should change that." they say and start moving behind the bar.

********

"Oh, no need. I've had about three of your specials and Lili here doesn't drink." Jennie tells her, making her stop.

********

"Jennie Kim refusing a drink? What kind of voodoo spell did you cast on her Lisa? It's like I'm looking at a stranger." the club owner said. I chuckle and look at Jennie. "Are you two dating? Cuz I'm going to start placing bets on how long before-"

********

"No. No, we're not. You know me better than that B." Jennie cuts them off. 

********

"Right. Jennie Kim doesn't date." Bobby says. "Alright. You two have fun then. Oh! By the way, your friends are cozied up in one of the rooms. Saw them go in, locked the door for them." she added.

********

Jennie smirked.

********

"Thanks, and we're probably going to head out anyways. It's a school night and Lili probably has a curfew." Jennie replied.

********

I couldn't help but chuckle at that. It was getting late, but my curfew isn't in another hour.

********

"A school night, curfew, Jennie Kim you must've been baptized with some serious holy water." Bobby remarks playfully. She takes out two shot glasses and pours some liquid in them. "Take one drink. Just something to give you a little buzz." they insisted.

********

Jennie looks at me to see if I'll take it. Honestly, I have no idea why I'm doing it, but I take the glass and just drink the shot. Jennie seems surprised and follows after me. I cringe at the taste. _Yup, never drinking alcohol again._

********

The club owner chuckles watching us.

********

"Have fun guys." they say before leaving.

********

Jennie holds my hand and leads me outside. 

********

"Where are we going?" I ask, my head somewhat spinning lightly. Bobby wasn't lying when they said it would give you a buzz.

********

"Just wait." Jennie says excitedly.

********

We got in her car and drove off. Did I consider this a possible kidnapping? Yes. It scared me that she was buzzed and driving, she probably had no idea where we were going. She pulled over an old building, clearly abandoned and at the brink of collapsing. 

********

We get out of the car with her pulling me inside the building.

********

"Jennie, I don't think this is safe." I tell her seriously.

********

"Don't worry, I've been going here since... I can't remember. A long time ago." she answers chuckling.

********

We climb up the stairs and reach the top. There's a huge contraction that I don't even know how to begin to explain. The brunette presses a button and suddenly the roof moves to reveal the night sky, filled with stars.

********

I look up and marvel at the sight. Meanwhile, Jennie is setting up a bean bag chair and pulling me to sit with her. I fall beside her and now we're both looking up at the sky.

********

"I found this place while I was running away from something." she begins. I turn to her slightly, giving her my attention. "I can't remember exactly what, but I just ran here. It's an old observatory. Nobody really comes here. They think it's haunted." she continues. "The stars always show here. It's kind of the best spot in town." she adds.

********

I look up, she's right. The stars are beautiful from here.

********

"I'm sorry for being too pushy with you." she says, making me turn to her. "I just find you really intriguing Lisa." she adds and faces me.

********

"What's so intriguing about me?" I asked softly, enough for only her to hear.

********

"Everything. The way you can easily say no to me. Your duality of hot and cold." she says.

********

I chuckle.

********

"I'm sure I'm not the first one to say no to you." I tell her.

********

"Yeah, but you're the first who... I'm not really sure what you did, but I can't keep you out of my head." she rebuts.

********

There's a comfortable silence between us.

********

"I'm not going to get swayed, Jennie. I have priorities and I can't be distracted. Not by parties, or friends... or you." I tell her.

********

She's looking intensely into my eyes. I want to shift and move to safety, but I don't. I stay glued to my place, looking back into her orbs.

********

"I'm not included in the category of friends." she remarks with a small smile.

********

I roll my eyes. Just when you think she's being serious she pulls something like this. I don't hate it- I mean, not anymore, but she needs to take things seriously for once.

********

"I'm not kidding." I say.

********

"Neither am I." she replies.

********

"What do you want from me, Jennie? The truth this time." I ask.

********

"I want... I... I don't know what I want." she admits.

********

It's crazy how things seem to move so fast. One minute you're just talking and the next you're lips are locked on each other. That's what we look like right now. I don't remember what happened exactly, but I was kissing Jennie and she was kissing me back.

********

It was a whole rollercoaster of emotions. It felt good and scary at the same time. There was no hidden intention behind the kiss it was just... good.

********

\--

********

We reach the front of my house five minutes before curfew. I'm confused and happy at the same time. The car ride was quiet, both Jennie and I were still trying to grasp what just happened. I unbuckled my belt and opened the car door.

********

"Good night." I say to her quietly with a small smile and the porch light opens.

********

"Good night Lili." she replies along with an unsure smirk, but I could tell she wanted it to be a smile.

********

I step out and walk back to the house. _What just happened?_

********

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! Did you guys make it to the end? You did? Congrats! That was probably the longest chapter I've written in my entire life. I can't begin to tell you how into this chapter I was and how much I enjoyed writing it. I hope you did too! Like I said in the beginning, this is my first time writing smut, so I hope I didn't disappoint too much. Feel free to leave your thoughts and suggestions in the comments! I always love reading those. I hope you're excited for the next chapters because it gets calm and chaotic all at the same time. Sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors! See you in the next chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I have quite a lot of free time right now so updates may come sooner. Also, I am really enjoying writing because you guys are enjoying what I'm putting out, so thank you so much! If you have any suggestions for the story or any small requests like interactions feel free to comment on it! Enjoy reading you guys!

**CHAEYOUNG POV**

I shifted in my place, I could feel an arm wrapped around me. I slowly open my eyes to see Chu sleeping soundly beside me. All the events that happened last night came back like the flood that wiped out all of humanity in the book of Genesis. 

I look at the digital clock on the nightstand. 6:45 a.m. I have enough time to go home and get ready before having to go to school. I slowly get up, moving Chu's arm off me. She's a heavy sleeper so I don't have to be as careful when I move. I get my clothes and get dressed. I'm not really sure how to feel about what happened last night. I mean, of course, I loved it, I always love my time with Chu, but at the same time I feel guilty about it. Especially now that I'm leaving without saying goodbye. 

It's just too early for any confrontations.

I open the door once I'm done getting dressed and head to my car. The club looks like a wasteland. Cups and trash everywhere, bodies unconscious on some chairs. I wonder how Bobby will ever finish this by tonight.

"Had fun?" a voice cooly asked from behind.

Speak of the devil.

"Uh, yeah. I crashed in one of your rooms." I answered, turning around to meet the brown eyes of Bobby.

"Yeah, I saw," they said. "I wasn't aware that you liked girls like that." she added.

"Right. Um, we were just drunk." I lied. Bobby may be Jennie's friend, but they're still someone I'm not comfortable coming out to.

"Hey," she raises her hands. "No judgment." she adds. "You heading home?"

I nodded.

"Alright then, take care. I'll give Jisoo the message, tell her you had to get ready for school." she said. 

Bobby is very different from everyone in town. I don't know if I'm the only one who sees it, but they're both shady and a ray of sunshine. They socialize well enough for everyone in town to know them, but at the same time, nobody really knows what Bobby has going on in their head. They have no close friends besides Jennie, they have a girlfriend that no one has ever seen, and they own a business that nobody has ever been able to go up against. You may think that's it's just good business, but the people who went up against her literally disappeared. It's shadier than men in black appearing on your friend's doorstep.

I nodded at them and went to my car. I drove home, proud of myself for not drinking last night. It's been a struggle. If Jisoo is the one who drinks in our relationship, I'm the one who likes to stay on the sober side. I have nothing against drinking, I'm just really not into the whole idea of getting drunk or buzzed, though the thought is always on my mind.

I pulled up at the parking lot of the apartment and headed upstairs. Alice is usually aware that party's at Bobby's lasts all night, so she might've just prepared breakfast or just slept in. I turn the key and quietly make my way inside the apartment, making sure not to make any noise because I don't want to be the one to wake Alice up if she was asleep.

She's not a morning person, so waking her up early is the worst possible atrocity you could do to her.

"Rosanne Park! Where have you been!" my dad's booming voice startled me.

I froze in my place looking at him. He's wearing his business suit and his eyes were tired.

_Oh shit._

"Oh thank the heavens!" my mom exclaimed, appearing beside my dad and rushing to hug me. "We were so worried about you! We waited all night!" she added as she pulled away.

I'm still in shock seeing them. I look over to Alice whose head was lowered behind my father.

"I- I thought you guys weren't going to be back till later." I said nervously.

"We came home early because the hearings were moved. And guess what we come home to? Your sister, here alone, watching TV, while you were out all night! She didn't even know where you went!" my dad answered angrily.

I lowered my head. Times like these meant keeping your head low and mouth shut.

"Where were you?" he demanded.

"I... I was at Jennie's. We were studying for an exam." I answered softly.

"Stop lying! We called Jennie's parents. You weren't there and neither was she! And what are you wearing? You went out the house wearing that?" he said, his voice scaring the hell out of me.

"I- I was..."

"Did you go to a party?" my mom asked calmly.

I slightly looked up at her and hesitantly nodded. My dad huffed and turned away, hiding his raging emotion. My mom understood, at least I think she did. She's always the calm one in situations like this.

"Go to your room and get showered. Come out for breakfast after. I'll tell your teachers you'll miss school today." she said in a caring tone.

"No, I... I can go to school. I want to." I told her, my voice soft.

She thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. She pulls my dad into the other room and I pull Alice into mine.

"Why didn't you call me?" I asked in a hushed tone.

"I did. You didn't pick up." she answered. "They got here about an hour after you left. I tried to cover for you as long as I could, but they called Jennie's parents and all hell broke loose." she added.

I never brought Jisoo home whenever my parents were around. I'm too much of a coward to even give them the slightest idea that I might be dating her. This is why Jennie is always the first emergency call when something happens to me at school.

All they know is that Jen is my best friend and Jisoo is the girl who came by drunk and fell asleep in my room. That is if you count my mom's suspicion as to why I was the person Jisoo came to out of all her friends.

"Earth to Rosanne," Alice said snapping her fingers. I didn't realize how I was staring into nothing for the last 2 minutes. I must still be tired from last night. "Were you even listening? I asked what you're going to explain to mom and dad once they calm down? Or dad at least." she repeated herself.

"Umm..." I thought for a moment. "I told them I was going to a party... so maybe..." I stalled for a little trying to come up with something till it hit me. "Oh! Lisa's dad threw a party last night. I remember seeing the posters across town. I could call up Lisa and ask her to cover for me." I answered, feeling so smart.

"Okay? And what about your fit? Mom and dad are not going to buy the excuse that you went to a party that was held by Lisa's dad wearing that." she says. "And how are you going to explain coming home this late— early?" she added. 

I always wished I had Alice's mind. She could always find the small details I would miss.

I pondered again on a good excuse.

"I'll tell them I performed a song and I had to dress up for it. And I don't know, maybe I slept over at Lisa's?" I answered.

Alice let out a sigh.

"You know I'll always support you right? In everything I always have... but sometimes I need to give you the truth too." she begins, making me furrow my brows. "You've been lying for some time now, and it comes so naturally to you. You're even going to bring your friend to it. I'm not saying it's your fault, but maybe it's time to just... come clean?" she continues.

I don't know why everyone keeps saying that it's time for me to "come clean" or "come out". I am happy with the way things are. I am safe where I am at. No one's yelling slurs at me, no one's telling me I shouldn't like who like... they love me and I don't want that to change.

"I get that it's hard, but you're going to be a senior after this semester. You've been living a secret life that I don't think neither you nor anyone involved is enjoying anymore. I mean, look at where you and Jisoo are at right now, think about how many times you've lied to mom and dad— think about you. Are you really okay with settling for a life where you're always hiding?" Alice kept going. 

"If I come out, if I stop the lies, they could stop loving me. I can't lose them, Alice." I reasoned.

"Rosie, when are you going to learn that you deserve to be loved for who you chose to be instead of what they're telling you to be?" Alice asked sadly.

She gave me a short hug before leaving me with my thoughts. _Would they love me if I chose to be me?_

\--

**LISA POV**

"So, let me _try_ and get this straight because obviously, neither of us are. You kissed Jennie...? And she kissed back?" Jisoo asked with a confused look on her face.

I nodded, lips tightly sealed and kind of dazed.

"And you didn't do anything else?" she continued.

I nodded again.

"Not even hands traveling along your sides kind of thing?" she added. 

I shook my head this time. The raven-haired girl gave me a puzzled look.

It's Monday, I'm talking with Jisoo before our first class started, and I kissed Jennie last night and neither of us talked about it. In my defense, I was probably buzzed and out of my mind... but I also can't say I didn't like it... or regret it.

Jisoo met me staring into nothing this morning in class. I told her what happened because I didn't think it would be such a big deal right? Apparently, I was wrong because now she's trying to figure out why Jennie and I didn't do more than a kiss.

"Seriously, what's the big deal about it? I was buzzed and she was probably drunk." I told her, snapping out of my trans.

"What's the big- Jennie doesn't just kiss anyone and not get them in bed. As wrong as that sounds, it's a fact. She doesn't do the whole sweet I like you let's kiss all lovey-dovey. No. Jennie doesn't do crushes." the girl defended.

"Yeah, I got that from the many times she's said it." I replied.

I honestly have no idea why I kissed Jennie. I mean, I don't like her right? She's just someone that's going to distract me and most probably hurt me... That's why I push her away, it's why I chose not to be her friend in the first place. Then why am I acting like this?

"Maybe you were right and she was drunk. She probably doesn't like you like that." Jisoo said, settling in her seat.

_Ouch? Why did that sting?_

"What do you mean? Why not?" I asked quickly after letting her words sink in.

"Well, you know Jen. She doesn't date. She might want to get you into bed, but she wouldn't do it without your consent. She's a decent human being. You two were probably just drunk and in the moment. Just like what you said." she answered with a knowing look, one that I had no clue what meant. She was looking around for her bag, only to remember she didn't bring anything.

Jisoo came to school with a hangover. Apparently, she and Chaeyoung did the nasty last night and when she woke up the girl was gone. I'm sure they've made up and we're just waiting for Chae and Jennie.

I take a quick look around the room to see if they're here, but I only saw a blonde, whose hair I helped pick out, arrive. The last time I remember, Chae sat one seat away from Jisoo, but today she was all the way on the other side of the room.

"Don't think about it too much," Jisoo said, grabbing my attention. She was looking at where Chae was sitting with sad eyes. "You shouldn't have hoped in the first place." she added. I think she was telling it to herself more than she was telling it to me. 

I glanced back to see Chae who was now talking and smiling with Jackson.

\--

An hour and a half passed and class is over. I'm not usually this excited for class to be done, but Physics drains the hell out of me, so it's a relief. Jennie was a no show and Jisoo was gone before the professor could even give her closing remarks.

"Jennie didn't come to school?" Chaeyoung asked as she walked over to me, Jackson following behind. I look up at the pair, unsure if I should be nice to the guy or not.

"Uh... yeah. She must still be out from last night's party." I answer as I put my notebook in my bag. "Anything I can help you with?" I asked and got up.

"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to say thank you for covering for me this morning. My parents calling you up at 7 a.m is quite surprising." she said in her sweet-toned voice.

"Oh, that's nothing. It's a good thing you and I actually thought of the same thing. Would've been terrible if we said different stories." I tell her a give her a smile.

We begin to walk out of the room, I'm not sure about Jisoo's next class, but I know Chaeyoung and I are taking Music next. Probably the best subject we have here.

There wasn't any talking, Jackson being there meant we couldn't talk about her and Jisoo and I wasn't sure if it was safe to talk about what happened between me and Jennie last night. Not that it's a big deal. _Dang it! Why aren't I still over it?_

We walk for about a minute more and reach the music room. 

"I'll go ahead. See you at lunch?" Jackson finally broke the silence, me and Chae turn to him. My blonde friend nods and gives him a soft smile.

He nods at me and leaves. I give Chae an indifferent look.

"What? It's not like I have a choice." she says.

"You always have a choice, but I'm in no position to comment on anything." I tell her lightly. Clearly, Chae isn't into Jackson, and knowing her story, it was best not to remind her of that.

We walk in the music room expecting to see students getting ready or even a teacher trying to shut them up, instead, we come to a surprise seeing Jennie sitting on the teacher's desk, a pair of lips attached to her neck.

I freeze in my place, Chae does too. I have no idea what to do. Do I leave? Do I tell her to stop? Do I just stand here watching and wait for her to realize that there are people here? Yes. I am now internally panicking. What the fuck am I supposed to do?!?!?

Chae cleared her throat, making Jennie turn towards us, slowly and kind of seductively. She pushes the girl off her and gets off the table.

"Oh hey, you two. Didn't see you there. Did you have fun watching?" she asked, smirking as she crossed her arms.

I look away, unable to really meet her eyes. _Who in their right mind would openly make out with someone in a classroom where classes are about to happen?!?!_

"You should've gone to a closet somewhere, you're mom's going to kill you if you got caught again." Chae said ever so casually. It's like this is a normal occurrence for them.

"Oops, sorry. Danielle and I got carried away with whatever we were doing before you came in." Jennie said arrogantly. The girl, Danielle buttoned up her shirt, which I didn't even realize was unbuttoned, and gave Jennie a wink before walking past me out the door.

Seriously, it's not like she did something good. She would've probably gotten Jennie into trouble and that anything but good. The brunette came over to put an arm around my shoulder.

"So, how's your head? I didn't think that you'd actually be in school today, but I can see we're both surprising each other." she says playfully.

Honestly, I am in no mood to be nice and friendly right now. _Didn't she just kiss me last night and- okay, I kissed her, but she kissed back! Shouldn't there some kind of rule that says you shouldn't kiss someone without making your intentions clear?_

_What if I was right all along? What if it's all just a game? What if she really just wants to get something from me and add me to her trophy of broken hearts? Wait. That doesn't sound right. Why would I be heartbroken? I don't even like her._

I brush her arm off and proceed to my seat, not bothering to answer her question.

"Ooh, someone's a little jealous." she teases and follow to sit beside me.

"Leave me be Jennie." I tell her calmly.

"Did you wish it was you making out with me Lili?" she asked in a seductive tone.

_Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit!_

"Cut it out, Jen. You're being too aggressive." Chae says, saving me from having to answer the cat-eyed girl.

"Or what? You'll go running to your girlfriend? Oh, wait. It's boyfriend now."

"What is your problem?" I snap at her. I know she can be a bitch, but what the hell? This isn't Jennie. At least, I'd like to think it's not.

"Let her be Lis. She's probably drunk." Chae remarks quietly. 

I didn't pay Jennie any more attention, but I can clearly sense her watching us. Soon enough, more students came in and Jennie stayed quiet. 

\--

**JISOO POV**

It's 2 p.m, just about ten minutes before the baseball team finishes practice. I'm in the gym waiting for one specific guy to walk out. Obviously, I'm planning on confronting Jackson. If Chae is going to let her parents control this part of her life, then I'm making sure she at least ends up with someone who gives a damn about her.

I'm not saying I'm done fighting for her, but right now, we both need to think of what we're doing and really plan our next moves. I'm not letting her go that easily, but I'm also not going to just stand by and watch her have her life be controlled. Last night was... painful, but I know that it meant something and I won't accept it as a goodbye.

A tall young man came out of the gym, just the person I'm looking for. I grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him to the side, not bothering if I was dragging him. I push him against the wall, my hands holding by the collar.

"Kim, what the hell?" he exclaimed.

"Shut it moonwalk. I'm doing the talking here." I tell him. 

I may not be Jennie and I may not be the most feared person in this school, but when it comes to Chae, I'm not scared of getting my hands dirty.

"What do you want? Can't you just talk to me nicely?" he asked. 

"No. Now shut it because this is about Chae." I tell him again. I let him go once he calmed down. "What's your deal with her? Did BamBam tell you to go after her? Is this some sort of ruse?" I interrogated him.

"Ruse? What? No. BamBam doesn't even know about me and Chaeyoung." he says.

_Me and Chaeyoung._ Damn, it hurts more to hear than I thought.

"You and Chae? Are you two... a thing now?" I asked, unsure if I wanted to hear the answer. I mean, if the love of your life is technically going out with someone, would you want to hear the answer to that?

"We're... working on it." he answers honestly. "Look, I get that you're best friends and you want to protect her, but I'm not the enemy. Chae is someone I look up to. She's smart, hardworking, sweet-"

"You don't have to list it down, I know." I cut him off.

"Okay. Then you should also know that a lot of people like her, that includes me." he reveals. "I know she's not really into me. I can see it, I can feel it. She's only doing this because her mom asked her to and she's too good of a daughter to say no."

I gave him a stern look.

"Which, is something I mean good by." he quickly raises his hands in defense. "I like her... a lot. It's hard not to." he tells me, putting his hands down. I can tell he's sincere, but still... a guy with Chae it's not right.

"You better listen to me, Jackson. Chae is the best person that I know and if anything, and I mean **ANYTHING** happens to her, I'm coming for your head. I mean it." I tell him, grabbing his shirt again. "If she sheds so much as a single tear, I will kill you and bury your body somewhere not even the hellhounds of the underworld can find. Am I understood?" I threatened him, earning a quick nod.

"Her favorite snack is Kimchi, she hates avocado so don't you even think," I crash him into the wall. "Of getting her anything that has to do with an avocado. She loves to sing in the car, so turn up the radio because you will listen to her sweet voice whether you like it or not. She cries easily so don't even think about making her watch some sad videos." I continued.

"If the food is too good for her, prepare for some tears. It's an exception because technically the food made her cry, not you. Always bring food with you and she loves anything Disney, so you have an idea for Friday movie nights. You will carry her guitar for her, you will walk her to class and to her car, and you will **NOT** and I swear this to the Lord Almighty, sleepover at her place even if her parents allow it. Am I clear?" I finish up. 

Jackson nods slowly and I let him go. He dusts his shirt and fixes it.

"That's a lot of things to know for a best friend don't you think?" he remarks. "I'm starting to think you're the person she can't get over." he adds. 

Jackson is an okay guy. Not an ass, but also not an angel. 

"So what if I am? Do you have a problem with that? You're gonna go around telling your little buddies?" I challenged.

He shakes his head.

"I just think that she's lucky to have you." he answers. "Or... had..." he pauses. "I'll take care of her. I'll bring her, her favorite food, play her favorite song, watch her favorite movies. I'll protect her from whatever and I'll make sure she's happy... at least I'll try to make her happy." he says, putting a hand on my shoulder.

I look at him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. I push his hand off and walk away.

_You better keep your promise because she is everything I love and I'm entrusting her to you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you expect Jennie to react like that? I was thinking of a good way for me to allow the characters to grow more and really be explored and I thought of this as the best way. I hope you guys stay to see how they change and really figure things out. See you in the next chapters! Sorry for spelling and grammatical errors!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy reading you guys! Things are about to get chaotic in this chapter! Have a good week/day and don't forget to hydrate!

**LISA POV**

One week has passed and I've kept my word. I've been sitting with Jennie, Jisoo, and Chaeyoung during lunch. The majority of the time Chaeyoung and I are the only ones talking. Jennie is either busy making googly eyes with someone in the cafeteria and Jisoo is most likely turned away from us talking with other people. 

Yes, she and Chae haven't spoken all week despite the events that happened during the weekend. In all fairness, Chae and I have gotten closer. She came over yesterday and I'm going to her place after lunch. We're partnered up on a dance project and she's showing me the dance studio tomorrow.

"It's really no big deal, I can definitely show you around." I hear Jennie say to the girl she's flirting with. I roll my eyes, annoyed with how she's been doing this all week. One minute she's flirting with someone and the next she's all nice and sweet with me.

I'm not affected. I'm just... really annoyed.

The bell rang and the students dispersed. I have free time right now and so does Chae. I think Jisoo has English and I'm sure Jennie has something better to do other than bring people into closets to make out.

"So, what are we doing?" Jennie asks, turning to us, resting her chin on both her hands playfully.

"Lisa and I are going to my place to plan our dance project. You have Biology." Chae answered, fixing her things.

"Your place? Just the two of you? Why can't you discuss here in school?" Jennie asked, raising a brow.

"It's much more comfortable when you can plop down on a bed." I chime in and get up, taking my bag from the table and putting it on my back. The cat-eyed brunette scoffs. "What?" I asked, unamused.

"I just find it a little bit suspicious that you two are going to be alone in Chae's house, planning a dance project." she answers honestly.

I hold back a chuckle. _Is she for real?_

"What's the big deal? It's a dance project, plus Lis is my friend, I don't see anything wrong with her coming over to my place. You do it all the time." Chaeyoung said. She was right. What was wrong with going to Chae's house?

"It's Lisa. Not Lis. And you and I have been friends since middle school, Lili's been here what? Two weeks? And she didn't even want to be friends in the first place." Jennie replied I can feel some weird possessive vibe radiating from her. _Why is she so upset with this? It's not a big deal._

"Technically, I just rejected your friendship." I tease Jennie. What could hurt right? We are kind of friends now.

She huffs and it catches me off guard.

"Fine! Then go be friends with each other! See if I care!" she says angrily and stomps off.

Chae and I watch her, confused. 

"What'd I say?" I asked, still watching the brunette stomping off.

"No idea." Chae answers.

"She's probably on her period." I guy's voice interrupts us from behind. Both Chae and I turn to meet a familiar face. BamBam. "Don't worry, the storm will pass." he says and smirks.

"What do you want BamBam?" Chaeyoung asks, crossing her arms and giving the guy a stern look. It honestly surprises me how Chaeyoung's duality works. One minute she's all sweet and candy, the next she looks like a mafia boss that could definitely have you killed.

"Chill little miss chipmunk. I'm just here to talk with you. Both of you." he tells the blonde. "I just wanted to apologize to Lisa for the way I acted during our first meeting. I was a little under the influence that day, though it doesn't excuse my actions. I hope you can forgive me someday." he says and bows his head. 

I look over to Chae, unsure of what's happening. She shrugs her shoulders.

"Uh, sure?" I tell him, unsure.

He smiles and straightens up.

"Rosie, I hear that Jackson's been taking you out lately. I'm glad to see that you two are hitting it off well. Take care of him will ya?" the guy says, turning to Chae. He walks and stops beside her. He leans in to whisper something and it makes her stiffen. He pats her shoulder and walks away.

Seriously, BamBam is all kinds of shady. 

"What was that about?" I asked Chae.

"Nothing." she shakes her head, forgetting the thought. "Let's just go." she adds.

\--

"One, two, three, and shift and change." I say as I show Chae the dance move. We've been practicing for almost 30 minutes now and we have at least an hour more before we have to go back to campus. It's really surprising how long free period here is. 

"Like this?" she asks and attempts the move. 

"No. It's not detailed enough. Make sure your footwork is clear because even the slightest bit of delay or advance can ruin the whole dance. Oh, and don't smile too wide. You're pretty when you smile, but this song has a more... bad girl energy to it." I tell her.

"Geez, I didn't know you could be scary." she remarks. I give her a puzzled look. _Me? Scary?_ "You should see yourself teaching me how to dance." she adds.

"I'm not scary," I defend. "And I don't need to teach you much. You're already a good dancer. Did you take lessons before?" I asked.

There's this one part of the dance where we have to do a body roll and Chae practically invented the move.

"No, I'm just... it's a hobby. I used to go dancing with... Chu." she answers with a nervous chuckle.

Oh, right. She and Chu haven't made up yet.

"How are you two anyway? Any progress with that?" I asked as a concerned friend.

She sits down on her bed and I sit beside her.

"Do you think I'm wrong to break it off with her? I mean, I only did it because it's unfair to her. We're always hiding and she's always the one sacrificing. No holding hands, no kissing, no hugging, no meeting my parents..." she asked, her tone sad.

"I think that you are doing what you think is right," I answer. "The way I see it is there are three choices you can make. You could continue being miserable apart or be miserable together while hiding or... come out and be free to do what you want." I continue. "I'm not telling you which one to choose, I'm just laying all the choices for you, whichever you choose, I'll be here. I may sound a little hypocritical by saying this, but you can count me as a friend who'll be here for you." I finish.

It's a little bit funny how I started out not wanting any friends and ended up with Jen, Chu, and Chaeng. It's not that I'm a lonely person really, it's just that I had my own set of friends back in Thailand and I didn't think that I could find anyone else to fit in with. 

"What if I'm scared of coming out?" she asks.

I thought for a moment.

"I don't think you're scared of coming out. I think you're scared of what will happen if you do." I tell her. She gives me a curious look. "You're scared that you'll lose people if you come out and you're not sure if you want that. It's obvious that it's your family... but you have to remember that family are the people who will love and accept you for who you are. Doesn't mean you're blood you're family. Blood makes makes you related, family accepts you and loves you... it overcomes blood. A good example is you, Jennie, and Jisoo. I can see the way you guys are..." I add.

\--

**JISOO POV**

I'm in class, trying my best to focus on Shakespeare and his iconic Romeo and Juliet, but the fact that people think it's such a beautiful story just makes me hate it more. Who in their right mind would die for someone they just met? Like seriously? Romeo was probably going to leave Juliet for some other chick anyways. Seeing how fast he moved on from Rosaline, it's foreseeable that he'll do the same to Juliet.

Juliet is no different. She was dumb enough to "fall in love" with Romeo. She should've known he'd leave her for someone else. The secret relationship was already a red flag. If your partner can't tell the world that they love you, then they're not worth it.

... then again, Romeo was just trying to keep Juliet safe and Juliet was doing the same for Romeo. I'm sure Romeo would scream to the world how much Juliet meant to him right? Ugh! What am I going on about?

"Busy mind?" Seulgi asked beside me. "If you're having a hard time understanding Romeo and Juliet I can-"

"No thanks." I cut her off. "I'm not interested Seulgi." I add. Since Chaeng and I started interacting less, she's been more... pursuing of me. It's flattering, but I'm in no mood to flirt or to find a new girlfriend.

"You know I like you if you haven't noticed." she says and rolls her eyes, annoyed by my attitude towards her.

"And like I said, I'm not interested," I reply to her. "Sorry."

"Heartbroken?" she asks.

"It's none of your business." I tell her off and focus back on the whiteboard and take down notes.

"Is it because of little Chaengie?" she says quietly after a while, leaning in for me to hear.

I quickly face her. _Shit! How did she know? Did she see us? Did I accidentally slip something? What the fuck did I do?_

"It's not that hard to notice that you two aren't just friends. I'm gay remember? I can tell when someone's gay too." she says lightly.

I don't talk. Maybe this is best. Maybe I won't slip and say anything I shouldn't. 

"Don't worry, I won't out her." Seulgi interrupts my train of thought.

"Ms. Kim. Please pay attention." the prof says and I shuffle in my seat.

"Thank you." I slip out unexpectedly.

"Don't thank me just yet," Seulgi says, making me furrow my eyebrows. "I won't out her if you go out on a date with me." she adds and turns to smirk at me.

_This bitch._

"What the fuck?" I ask her a little too loud.

"Ms. Kim!" Mrs. Canterby yells.

"What?" I snap at her.

The class is shocked by my reaction and so am I. Never once have I ever talked back to an adult, not my parents, not my teachers.

"Office. Now!" she orders.

I curse under my breath and take my bag. I leave the room and go to the gym. No way in hell am I going to the office. I change into my jersey in the locker room. After I make my way to the storage room and take out a basketball.

This is my safe place. Besides Chae, basketball has always been able to help me deal with what I'm feeling. It calms me down and lets me think things through without having to drown myself in alcohol. Chae always tells me to stop drinking, but it's not as easy as she thinks it is. I can't really play basketball 24/7 or be with her.

I shoot some hoops, the majority of them failing to actually go in the hoop. I throw the ball into a direction. I expected to hear it bouncing off, but nothing. I turn to see a girl, long black hair, almost the same height as me, wearing a blue jersey, holding the ball. _Giselle._

"You know, usually the ball goes into the basket, not away from it." she says playfully, walking over to me and handing me the ball.

"What are you doing here?" I ask. Honestly, I'm having the worst week of my life. First, my girlfriend breaks up with me, then she reveals that she's dating a guy, we sleep together, Seulgi blackmail's me into going out with her, and now... my ex shows up in the last place I can get some peace and quiet.

"I'm the captain of the basketball team remember? And we have training in 30. I came to set up." she answered, still holding the ball out for me.

"Right. I'll just leave." I say and take the ball.

"Nonsense. Just because you let Chaeyoung use one of the lockers here doesn't mean you're no longer a part of the team," she says, stopping me from moving from my place. "You are however still suspended from playing in games until she moves her stuff out." she adds, chuckling a little in the end. 

I take a deep breath and let my eyes wander around the empty court.

"Do I stay for practice or what?" I ask, changing the topic from Chaeng to something else.

"You should stay and practice. Your shooting sucks." she jokes and we both laugh lightly.

"I wonder why that is." I play along unconsciously.

"Don't blame me," she raises her hands in defense. "I was the best teacher to you. You just... really suck." she jokes again. We both laugh.

Giselle and I dated the summer before Chae and I got together. We ended things on a good note. We were both pretty young and we had different priorities. I wanted to live in the moment and she was set on a path to her future. I don't hate her for it, we're good. 

"So, what got you worked up that you were asked to leave class?" she asks. 

_Damn, word gets out fast._

"Am I the talk of the town already?" I ask in return, throwing the ball upwards.

"No, I just saw you walk out. I didn't follow you, we really do have practice in 30 minutes." she answers.

I nodded. I wonder what happened between Giselle and I. I mean, we were close. Besides Jennie, she was someone who I could count as a close friend.

"I talked back to the teacher after I was blackmailed by someone to go out with them." I tell her, throwing the ball up again and catching it.

"Let me guess... Seulgi?" she asks, a small smirk tugging at her lips.

"You can read minds now?" I ask playfully, throwing the ball in the air. She catches it before I do.

"No. She's always been into you, even when we were together." she answers, dribbling the ball and slowly backing up. I follow her.

"Oh, I bet you were jealous. She likes to throw herself at me." I tell her, smirking and getting into position to steal the ball.

"Beat me in one on one and maybe I'll tell you the answer to that." she challenges.

I'm not one to back down from a challenge, so we start a game. Just like we used to. She does the usual, dribbles the ball, trying to get past me. Back then she would be so unpredictable for me, but the secret to beating Giselle is always in the eyes. She always won against me, but I've gotten better since the last time we played against each other.

Her orbs quickly glance to my left and I catch it. She tries to get past, using a crossover to confuse me, but I steal the ball from her as she fakes a right. She always dribbles using her left hand, making it easier for me to steal. I make a roundabout to count the ball in and she's in defense. I analyze her carefully, I look at the distance between me and the basket. I do a quick crossover while her guard's down and shoot the ball.

_3 points._

I smirk at her. I may be small, but I have a strong pulse and a good shooting hand.

"Dang it! I see the student has become the master." she says impressed.

"What can I say? I had a good teacher." I reply and pat her shoulder before taking the ball. "So, care to answer?" I remind her teasingly. 

We both laugh and she takes the ball from me and shoots it.

"No. I was never jealous." she answers.

"How come?" I asked curiously. Not that I'm comparing, but Chae has always been jealous. I get why, but still.

"I just... trusted you. I know how loyal you are. Cheating isn't something you would do despite growing up with your experiences." she says. 

It makes me feel... good? That someone trusts me like that. _No. Stop. Don't think like that._

"What if I did?" I asked unexpectedly. I'm saying a lot of unexpected things lately.

"I'd be hurt... probably angry, but I don't think all fault is on you." she answered. "Besides, Seulgi isn't your type. You hate things being forced. You like it natural." she adds.

"Two and a half years you still know me..." I remark, remembering the moments she and I had.

Honest to God, I'm over Giselle. It's just nice to remember.

"Yeah, well... you are my first love so..." she replies.

There's a silence between us.

"I'll get going. I should probably apologize to Mrs. Canterby before she fails me in English." I say.

Giselle nods and goes to pick the ball up.

"Hey," I call her. She turns, her hair falling to her side. "If you're not busy, maybe we could catch up? it's been a while since we actually hung out." I asked.

She smiled and nodded. I returned the smile and went my way.

Don't make a big deal out of it. It's just catching up, Giselle has a boyfriend. If I didn't cheat on her, then I wouldn't cheat with her as well.

**LISA POV**

We're walking back to campus from the parking lot, Chae is carrying a paper bag filled with food. She said it's for Jisoo. She made it herself after we practiced today, she said Jisoo forgets to eat dinner sometimes and she worries about her health.

We're talking about possible things to add to our routine when we notice that people are rushing somewhere and gathering.

"What's going on there?" she asks and stretches her neck to see.

I do the same and we slowly make our way there.

The crowd gets bigger and bigger. They're cheering and yelling. Chae and I push past them to try and see what's going on. I only catch a glimpse, but I'm sure I saw Jennie throwing a punch. I push through, Chae behind me and I'm right. In the middle of the crowd is Jennie fighting with BamBam. He has a busted lip and his friends are helping him hold Jennie off, but the brunette is determined and manages to push them off.

I'm conflicted between helping her or just standing there to watch. I take a step forward and I feel Chae's hand stop me. I look at her and she shakes her head.

"We have to help her. She could get hurt." I argue with her.

"Jennie's angry, she's not thinking straight. I don't think any of them can hurt her." Chae says calmly and I turn again to watch Jennie kick one of BamBam's friends.

"Then we have to help them before she kills them all." I say instead.

"Jennie! Jennie! Get off him! Get off your brother!" someone yells from the crowd.

We all turn to the voice and the principal walks into the scene.

"Jennie! Get off him!" she yells and pulls her daughter off BamBam who now had a bloody nose. He was chuckling cynically.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mrs. Kim asks and uses herself as a barrier between BamBam and Jennie.

"You! You are my problem! You and your fucked up family!" she yells. "Your precious son got my dad arrested! He's in jail for something that's not his fault! I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch!" she yells more and tries to get to BamBam.

_Son? Brother?_

"Stop it, Jennie!" Mrs. Kim yells, trying to hold her back. "Your brother didn't report him. I did!" she says and Jennie stops. She takes a couple of deep breaths while looking at BamBam who was now being helped by his friends.

"You what?" Jennie asks, backing up and practically fuming.

"He breached the contract. He needs to learn his-"

"You got him arrested because I went to visit him?" she yells angrily.

"Do not talk to me like that Jennie!" her mom yelled.

"Fuck you! Fuck all of you!" Jennie yells and runs off.

Her mom groans as she runs away. She pinches her temple and turns to the crowd who has since then turned silent. 

"Everyone disperse and get back to class!" she ordered and everyone does. She turns to BamBam and tends to him. "Go to the clinic. I'll call your dad to come and pick you up." she says.

Jackson was checking on his best friend when he saw us. He asks their other friends to take BamBam and he comes towards us.

"Are you two okay? You didn't get involved in that did you?" he asked worriedly.

Chae shakes her head, still in shock with what we saw.

"Okay, let's get you two out of here." he says and leads us away. 

I turn back to see BamBam watching us with a sickening grin.

\--

"BamBam and Jennie are family?" I asked as we're walking through the hallways. The entire school is talking about them. "Did you know?" I asked Chaeyoung who shook her head.

"It's not something either of them is happy about. They preferred not to let it get out." Jackson answered instead.

"How come?" Chaeyoung asked. "We're her friends, I thought she'd tell us these things." she added.

"It's not my place to say, but Bam and Jen used to be best friends. 2 years ago Jen's mom and Bam's dad got married. Neither of them knew and it ultimately broke their friendship." Jackson explained. "I don't know what happened today, but Jennie doesn't get into fights like that with BamBam, not unless it's about Ella or her dad. To be honest... I don't think they've ever fought like that before." he adds.

_Ella? Must be her little sister. The one who picked up the phone when I called._

"Don't think about it too much. Just be there for her. She'll tell you eventually." Jackson says as we come to a stop in front of a classroom. "I'll meet you after school Chae. See you Lisa." he says and walks away.

\--

It's 11 p.m, I'm fast asleep but awoken by my phone ringing. I groan and pick it up.

"Hello?" I answer groggily.

"Is she there? Is she with you?" Jisoo asks hurriedly from the other side of the phone.

"What?" I asked confused, sitting up and turning my lamp on. "Who?"

"Jennie. Where is she?" she asked panicked.

"She's not here. I haven't seen her since this afternoon. What happened?" I answered. There's a knot forming in my stomach, not the good kind. I'm actually worried about Jennie.

"She hasn't come home. No one's heard from her since school today." Jisoo answers. "Did she call or text you?" she asks.

I check my phone quickly.

"No. I haven't gotten anything from her." I say.

"Fuck! Where the hell is she?" Jisoo lets out frustrated and I hear some glass breaking in the back.

"Okay, calm down. Is she with Chae? Maybe she's with her. Or Bobby's? Aren't they good friends?" I suggested, getting out of bed and putting on a pair of pants.

"Chae hasn't heard from her and Bobby said Jennie isn't picking up their call. You're the last person I called. I have no idea who else to ask." she says, her voice breaking. 

"Okay, okay. Calm down. I'm getting out of the house. Meet me with Chae at my dad's restaurant in 10." I tell her.

She lets out a weak okay and hangs up.

\--

A purple car pulls over in front of me. I get in the backseat. Chaeyoung and Jisoo turn to me. The blonde looks tired and Jisoo's eyes are puffy like she just finished crying.

"Where to?" Chaeyoung asked.

"Um... drive in the direction to Bobby's," I tell her. "There should be an old road that we'll reach." I tell them.

They both give me a confused look, but Chae starts driving. I didn't forget how Jennie told me about the observatory. No one knows where it is or that Jennie goes there. I'm guessing if she ran away, she went there.

We drive for about 20 minutes and past Bobby's. I notice some landmarks from the night Jennie and I drove. 

_Please stay safe Jennie._

I tell Chae to pull over by an oak tree, just a block away from the actual observatory. I get out and ask them to wait.

I begin to walk to the old building. I didn't want them to come with me since Jennie didn't want anyone to come here. I understand that I might be breaking her trust by being here myself, but I'm worried. She could hurt someone if they crossed her or worse... hurt herself. 

"Jennie? Jennie? Are you up there?" I call and walk up the stairs. "Jennie?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like the reveal? Did you see it coming? Was it good? I hope you liked it!!! Don't worry, I'll explain later how Jennie is always punching BamBam and why he never fights back. What do you think about the addition of Giselle? Will we ever get Chaesoo😭 Comment your thoughts! Thanks for reading guys, see you in the next chapter! Sorry for any spelling or grammatical errors!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rosé's solo is coming!!! Gaaaaahhhh!!! Who else is excited? Here's a new chapter! Will be uploading another one later so we get two chapters today to celebrate RS1! Enjoy this flashback chapter!!!

**JENNIE POV**

**\--4 Years Ago--**

_I'm crying my eyes out, pulling on my dad's shirt, begging him not to go. He's carrying a duffle bag filled with his clothes. He shed a tear but wipes it away quickly._

_"Let me go Jennie." he says and pulls his arm off my grasp._

_"No!" I exclaim and run to hug him. I bury my face in his shirt, wetting it with my tears. "Don't leave me please. Take me with you. I want to be with you." I beg, crying more._

_"I'm sorry Jennie." he says a little too easily for my liking and pulls me off him. I watch as he hurriedly gets in his car._

_My mom comes to hug me, but her touch feels like fire. It burns and I don't want anything to do with it. Nothing. My dad drives off and I try to follow him. Mom holds me back and I struggle to break free from her._

_The minute I do, my dad's already gone. I fall on my knees and cry louder than before. She tries to comfort me, but she's the reason why all of this is happening in the first place._

_I get up and run away. I don't know where, I just need to run._

_I end up in the park by my best friend's house. His house is just across the park. He must've seen me because he's rushing out towards me._

_"Hey," BamBam says worriedly. "What happened?" he asked. He's always been there for me. Since we were little kids. He's always been there to protect me._

_I cry until my lungs can't take it anymore. I feel my knees going weak and I fall into his arms._

_"Jennie!" he exclaims surprised, catching me. "Hey, hey, it's okay." he says and sits on the ground holding me._

_"He left Bam. He left me." I cry out._

_He strokes my head to calm me down. I'm still crying, but being held by BamBam helps ease the pain somehow. I know he'll never leave me. He's not like my dad and he's not like my mom._

**\--One Year Later--**

_"How's your mom doing?" I ask BamBam as we're walking through the hallways. He's been sad lately. His parents are going through a rough patch and I'm upset because there isn't anything I can do about it._

_"Mom's filing for divorce. My dad's been cheating on her for 2 years Jen. 2 fucking years!" he answers angrily._

_I'm a little new to hearing Bam swear. It's unlike him. He must be really angry._

_"Is there anything we can do to fix it? I mean, I'm sure your dad wants to fix it. Maybe we can help—"_

_"He's leaving her for that bitch Jen. I don't know who she is, but fuck her for ruining my family!" he cuts me off. Bam is scaring me now._

_"Okay, just calm down." I say and look around to see people looking at us. I pull him into a classroom, somewhere he can really let out what he's feeling._

_I lock the door, expecting him to throw some chairs around or punch the wall or something, but he's on the floor, knees to his face and crying. I sit beside him and hug him. It's all I can do right now. Be here... just like he was for me._

_"I hate him. I hate him and his other woman! I want him to die!" he grits through his teeth, sniffling._

_"Shh... don't say that. I know you're angry but he's still your dad. We shouldn't wish anything like that." I tell him, stroking his back._

_"No! He's the guy that hurt my mom. The guy who ruined my life!" he says._

_I start to tear up. This felt familiar. This was me a year ago. My mom cheated on my dad when I was 11. She got pregnant and had Ella. My dad took her back and again she cheats on him for the second time... and a third... and a fourth._

_My dad left last year because he was tired of it. I wanted to go with him, I tried to, but we had a bunch of court meetings these past few months and my mom has child custody over me._

_My dad isn't allowed to see me, no one will tell me why. BamBam has been here all this time and now he was going through what I went through._

_"It will hurt. It won't be okay..." I tell him from experience. "But I'm here for you Bam. I'm never going to go away or hurt you or let anyone else hurt you." I add._

_He turns and hugs me. He cries into it. I rub his back, trying to comfort him, but knowing what he's going through I don't think there's anything I can do or say to make him feel better._

**\--1 Year Later--**

_BamBam and I were supposed to meet at the park. My other best friend Jisoo came back to town and is moving to the school. I wanted them to meet before we had to go back after winter break.  
I get a text from my mom telling me to meet her at the restaurant by Bobby's. Our house isn't far from there, an easy 10-minute walk. I argue with her over text saying I have to meet BamBam but she just demands me to come more. _

_I groan and text Jisoo, telling her we can meet up sometime before school. I begin my walk to Bobby's and my mom's waiting for me in her car. I get in and look at her questionably._

_"Why am I here?" I ask._

_"We're going to look at the new apartment. I just got promoted as the school principal and I'm starting immediately. We're moving closer to school." she says and begins driving._

_We pull over to a neighborhood close to school and far from the park. Damn. It'll be harder to meet BamBam now outside school. We get out of the car and I look around. There's not many stores around. Probably a few empty buildings. It doesn't seem as lively as our previous neighborhood, but it'll do._

_We get up to the apartment and I see the new place. It's bigger than our old house, that's for sure. I look around and check the rooms. There's five._

_"Mom, aren't there too many rooms for you, me, and Ella?" I ask._

_"About that... we'll need to talk for dinner. You and I are going to meet some people." she says, making me think that there's going to be some big thing happening tonight._

_I go into one of the rooms. Yup. This one's mine. It has a walk-in closet, a two-frame window, and enough space for me to do what I want._

**ME** _3:49 p.m  
Wanna meet up later?  
Mom's taking me out for dinner. Need a way out_😭

 **WEIRDO** _3:51 p.m  
No_

 **ME** _3:51 p.m  
Oof  
U doing something?_

 **WEIRDO** _3:52 p.m  
No_

_I furrow my brows. Bam's being too cold._

**ME** _3:52 p.m  
Are you mad or something?  
Did I do something???_

_I wait for a reply. 1 minute... 3 minutes... 10 minutes pass and no reply. Hmm... must be in a war with his dad._

_\--_

_Dinner time comes and my mom and I go to a restaurant by the beach. It's classier than where we would usually eat for dinner, but who cares as long as there's food._

_"Table for Derek." my mom says. I furrow my brows because the name is familiar._

_The waitress leads us to a table and to my surprise, I see BamBam and his dad?_

_"Hey, did you two wait long?" my mom asks and takes a seat across Bam's dad._

_"No, we just got here about 5 minutes before you did." he answers._

_I sit across Bam, looking at him asking what's going on. He says nothing and stares at me with dagger eyes. I shift in my seat uncomfortably._

_"Uh, mom? What's going on?" I ask cautiously._

_"Why don't you tell her Derek?" BamBam finally speaks, his voice cold and harsh._

_His dad glares at him. This is making me nervous. It's making me feel... scared._

_"Jennie," my mom begins and I look at her. "Derek and I... are dating." she says and holds Bam's dad's hand._

_I stare at them, not being able to process anything._

_"What?" I ask weakly._

_"We have decided to move in together and be a family. We thought it was time for you and BamBam to know." she replies._

_I can't breathe. I can't feel the ground. I feel like I'm about to pass out._

_I suddenly feel a set of hands on my arm, pulling me away from the table. I'm dazed, still trying to wrap my head around what my mom said._

_Dating BamBam's dad? That means... no. She wouldn't._

_"Did you know? Did you fucking know?" BamBam gritted through his teeth._

_I want to say no, but I can't speak. My mouth is shut and my chest feels heavier than it has ever felt._

_"And here I thought you were my best friend when in reality you let your mom fucking ruin my family!" he snaps._

_"What?" I finally snap out of it. "This is my fault how?" I added._

_I start to feel everything like a train. Anger, pain, disdain, disgust, every fucking thing._

_"I am as much clueless as you are. Technically not because you knew and didn't tell me. Is this why you were so cold texting me?" I added, I don't know who I'm feeling these feelings towards now._

_"Don't try to turn this on me Kim. Your mom did all this! She's the bitch that ruined my family! She's who my dad has been cheating with! She fucking broke me!" he starts to raise his voice._

_"Hey! I hate her just like you! Maybe even more! But are you seriously going to blame me for something I didn't do?" I reply with the same volume._

_"I can't accept this. I won't!" he says softly, but I can feel the intention to hurt in his voice. "You. Will never. Be my family. None of you will!" he adds and leaves._

**\--1 Year Later--**

_I'm home alone with Ella and BamBam. My mom and Derek are on their honeymoon. They got married about a week ago and they should be home today. I can't express how fucking angry I am that they just up and left like this is all a normal thing. Their kids were fucking best friends who were heartbroken because they were cheating on their spouses and now they're married? What the actual fuck?  
I open the door to the apartment. I was out with Chu and Chae. These two came out to me like I didn't already know that they've been dating for a year now. They're too obvious, holding hands and being all sweet with each other when we all know Chu is a huge flirt and who "accidentally" kisses each other goodbye? It doesn't matter anyway, I love them both and I'll support them in whatever they decide to do... although it does seem a little unfair that they have to hide their relationship from Chae's folks._

_I hear crying as I walk into the apartment. I follow the sound and see BamBam holding Ella by the arm tightly._

_"What are you doing?!" I yell and go over to let Ella go from his hands. She hides behind me and hugs my waist tight, burying her face on my shirt._

_"That little prick went in my room!" BamBam answered angrily._

_"So you're hurting her because of it?" I ask. Unbelievable._

_BamBam changed when we found out about my mom and Derek. It was like a whole new entity possessed the body of my former best friend. He became violent and rebellious, his alcohol intake spiked, and I think he's actually starting to use substance._

_"No one goes into my room uninvited! Not you! Not her!" he argued._

_"She's 5 God damn it! What the fuck is wrong with you? She's a kid! She sees you as a big brother BamBam you can't blame her for that." I raise my voice at him._

_"She's not my sister. Neither of you are!" he gritted through his teeth, stepping closer towards me, making Ella hide more._

_"Yeah, but she's mine and I'll be damned before I let you lay another finger on her again." I reply back, not backing down from him._

_Ella may be my half-sister, but she loves me and I love her. She's the only one who I can really call family in this house._

_"Keep her out of my room." he says and walks away._

_"Yeah, why don't you keep out of our lives instead!" I yell._

_I carry Ella to my room and sit her on the bed. I'm trying to keep myself calm and collected because I don't know what I'll do if I lose control. I pace back and forth as Ella watched._

_"Jennie, my arm hurts." she says quietly, making me stop my steps. I go to her and check her arm. It's already bruising._

_My mom is not the best when it comes to her kids. She'll make up a scenario in her head saying BamBam was only trying to discipline Ella or that he didn't mean to do it. This isn't the first time it happened, so I know what to expect._

_"Okay, um... can you wait here? I'll call Jisoo unnie and we'll hang out at her place okay?" I tell her. This is the best thing to do. If we stay here I'll end up fighting with BamBam. We'll just sleepover at Jisoo's and let this pass in the morning._

**ME** _5:06 p.m  
Chu, need to crash over at yours  
I'm bringing Ella_

🐔 _5:07 p.m  
Your brother hurt her again?_

_No one at school knows about me and BamBam. They all think that we were dating and broke up and started hating each other. Chu and Chae has no idea either. I just don't want anyone talking about it or knowing about it. They know I have a "brother", but they don't know it's him._

**ME** _5:07 p.m  
Yeah.  
Be there in 15._

_I put my phone away and started to pack some essentials. Chu's parents are out of town. They usually are. They're business people, so Chu grew up living mostly on her own with them just giving her access to their bank accounts._

_"Ella, can you go get your pj's and Mr. Lucky?" I ask Ella in a light tone. She nodded gleefully like she hadn't just been hurt by BamBam and goes out to get her things._

_\--_

**\--The Morning Jennie Disappeared--**

_I'm in Math. Mr. Tucson is talking about the Pythagorean theorem or something that involves numbers. A student assistant comes into the classroom and whispers something into his ear. His attention goes to me and I shuffle, feeling uncomfortable that he's looking at me like I did something wrong._

_"Ms. Kim, please go outside to receive a call." he says vaguely._

_I follow the student assistant outside and we walk to the General Office. She hands me the phone._

_"Hello?" I answer._

_"Jennie? Hey," it's my dad. I let out a sigh._

_"Dad? Why are you calling here? Why aren't you calling my phone?" I ask, lowering my voice._

_"Jennie, listen carefully okay? I need you to call my lawyer later. I can't reach him right now, but I need you to call him." he says._

_I furrow my brows._

_"What happened now, dad? Why do you need your lawyer?" I ask worriedly. "Is everything okay?" I added._

_"It's okay. I just need him to get me out of here." he says._

_Here? Where the hell is that?_

_"You're being too vague. Tell me exactly where you are. I'll pick you up." I tell him._

_"No. Don't. There's nothing you can do right now except call my lawyer." he says._

_"One minute." a deep voice said in the background. I tune out everything and listen carefully. There are some people talking in the background. I hear some bits. Like, "yes sir." and "the case against..."  
"Are you in jail?" I ask, putting the pieces together._

_"Jennie..."_

_"No. Tell me!" I demanded._

_My dad sighs on his side._

_"They took me this morning. They know you came and visited me. They said someone reported it. They chose to remain anonymous, but I think I know who it is.." he explains._

_I do too and I swear, I'm going to kill him._

_"Just wait for a little while dad. I'll fix everything." I told him and hung up._

_I put the phone down and marched off. I was looking for BamBam. He's the only one who could've reported my dad. I know he follows me sometimes. I look in classrooms and the gym, he's not there. I go to the canteen, it's empty. I reach the main lobby and see him there talking with some girls._

_I walk up to him with my clenched fist._

_"Hey, asshole!" I yell and swing my arm, hitting him strong enough to drop him with a busted lip._

**\--Present--**

"Jennie?" I hear a voice call. It's soft, but I know who it belongs to. I ran to the observatory after everything that went down at school. I'm too angry to go home, too emotional to go to Chu or Chae, I need to be alone.

Obviously, that won't happen since I told Lisa about this place. I don't regret telling her, but with everything I'm feeling... I can't be around her.

"Jennie?" she calls again, this time louder as she gets closer.

"Leave me alone." I tell her off, taking a sip of beer. It's like a scene out of a movie. I'm out here watching the stars, trying to clear my head and keep calm and she comes along to talk with me.

"We were worried." she says and reaches me.

"Including you? What a surprise." I remark, trying to be as cold as I can be so she'd leave me alone.

"Yeah... including me." she says softly and bends down to push my hand down from drinking.

I look at her. She's focused on me, her eyes filled with relief and yeah... worry.

"What do you want?" I ask her.

"You to come home. Or, go home. Jisoo and Chaeyoung were so worried about you. No one knows where you went." she says.

"That's the whole point of disappearing right? Not letting anyone find you." I snark at her. Her expression doesn't change. It's still soft and caring.

"Yeah... sorry I found you," she said with a small smile. "I don't want to leave you alone until I know you're safe and you're going to go home." she added, sitting beside me, making me look at her slightly confused.

_Why is she here? Why is she being like this? I don't want her to be like this. I want her to tell me off and to roll her eyes at me and tell me she doesn't care. She can't be here like this._

"Whether I like to admit it or not, I do care," she says, pulling me out of my thoughts. "I may not know what you're going through, but I know you're hurting." she looks at me, just like that night. Her gaze making me feel safe. "I'm not going to ask you to talk, but I'm staying with you until you're ready to go home. I'm not leaving you alone." she adds.

_I'm not leaving you alone._

I scoff and look away only to look back at her.

"I don't know what you think you're doing, but stop it. I'm not interested in your friendship. Go home." I tell her.

"Who says I'm offering you friendship?" she says lightly playful.

"Are you seriously flirting with me?"

"No, I'm trying to make you smile."

"I have the right not to smile."

"I know, you just look prettier when you do." she says and looks away, a small tugging at her lips.

I scoff again. Who would've thought that Lisa would be the one here right now?

We stay there looking at the stars quietly for a few minutes. 

"My dad's in jail," I say, breaking the silence. I remain looking at the stars. "I'm not allowed to see him because of the whole child custody situation. I became braver this year because I turn 18 in a month." I continue. "I didn't think we'd get caught," I added.

Lisa stayed quiet, listening to me. 

"My mom may say that she was the one that filed the report, but I know it was BamBam. He hates me more than I hate him, he won't stop unless my life turns into hell... not that it already isn't." I say and turn to Lisa. "My dad left me, my mom has a new family, and my former best friend became my brother. I lost all of them, so I'm asking you to leave now. Everyone else has, what are you waiting for?" I add and look back up.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not like everyone. And not everyone leaves Jennie. Jisoo and Chaeyoung are here for you. I'm here." she says.

_I really wish you weren't Lili. I wish you were just like everyone else because I'll be more hurt if you leave later on._

"For now... everyone leaves at some point." I tell her stubbornly.

"Not me Jennie Kim," she says and holds my hand, making me jerk my head towards her. "Not me." she says and turns to me with a small smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys enjoy it? I hope you did! I'll see you in the next chapt!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter 9! It's pretty calm at first, but I promise there's some good stuff later on. A warning though! There's some heavy homophobia here. No slurs, just something with Chaeyoung's mom, so be prepared. I hope you enjoy!

**CHAEYOUNG POV**

"Okay, Jennie's safe. Lisa's with her." I informed Jisoo. She cried tonight when we couldn't find Jennie. It was one of the rare times she would. I've been with her for two years and I've only seen her cry twice. First, when we said our first I love you's and tonight.

"I should go check on her." she says and prepares to step out of the car.

"What? No, you should stay here. In fact, we should go home. It's late, Jennie can drive Lisa home." I tell her, stopping her from leaving the vehicle.

"I'm her best friend, I have to go to her." she insisted.

"Lisa is with her. She'll be fine." I countered.

"But she doesn't know Jen as I do." she argued.

"But we can both agree that she's who Jen needs right now right?" I rebut calmly. She stops and makes herself comfortable in her seat again.

"Why is that anyway?" she asks.

"You and I both know why. It's obvious, it's just them who can't see it." I answer her.

I start the car and begin driving. The road is dark, but there are soft lights coming from lamp posts. I can see Jisoo's starting to fall from time to time. _She must be tired._

I pulled over once we reached the apartment building, Chu already fell asleep during the drive. I watch her, she looks so peaceful. I want to wake her up with a kiss, but that wouldn't be fair. I miss her so much... why did I have to be a coward? I want to hold her and smile with and be happy with her... but I can't.

"Are we here?" she asks, stirring awake.

"Uh, yeah. I was about to wake you up." I said.

She nods and gets out of the car without saying a word. I was hoping she would. I wanted her to talk to me, to say anything. That way I can still hear her voice and be with her for a little while longer.

"Chu, wait!" I say as I catch up to her.

She glances back but doesn't stop walking.

"Are you in a rush to go home?" I asked once I caught up to her by the elevator.

"I'm tired Chae." she says.

"Yeah, I got that. Do you want to come over for a cup of coffee? I mean, my parents wouldn't mind especially if they know that Jennie was missing and we were out looking for her." I told her enthusiastically. _Anytime, no matter how long, just one more minute..._

"Chae it's okay. You don't have to try and make things seem okay," she says and turns to me. "I love you, I've said it countless times now. I know you love me too, but you love your family more and that's okay. You're doing what makes them happy and that is very admirable of you, but I can't do this unless it's all or nothing." she continues, her words going through me like a sword. "I talked with Jackson. I sort of gave him my blessing. He'll protect you and be there for you." she adds.

"Wait, where are you going? Why can't you be the one there for me." I ask quickly. _She can't leave, right? She wouldn't leave me... right?_

"I'm still going to be here, but not like I used to be. I'll always love you, but I can't be there the way you expect me to be if you're going to be with Jackson." she explains with a small smile. 

I can see the hurt in her eyes, the way they really want to say something else but instead she just... lets go. It makes me feel more guilty doing what I'm doing. I'm already hurting her too much, I can't keep doing it to her.

The elevator chimes and interrupts our moment.

"Good night Chae." she says and walks out.

\--

**LISA POV**

Three days passed since the whole incident with Jennie. She asked me not to tell anyone where she is. It feels a little wrong, but she says she needs some time away from everyone to get some clarity and some peace of mind. I'm visiting her today at Bobby's. She's been staying there since that night. She refused to go home and I can't really force her to do anything she doesn't want to.

"Come on Lisa. Tell me where she is." Jisoo nudged me as we walked through the halls. "I'm her best friend, I'm sure she'll make an exception." she added, almost whining. It was funny really. She seemed so tough and to see her being soft for Jennie sheds new light on her.

"Sorry Jisoo, she said not to tell anyone. That includes you." I told her lightly. Things have calmed down here. Students still talk about Jennie, but it's not as bad as the first day. BamBam hasn't been attending and Jisoo seems to have healed, kind of, from the whole Chae and Jackson situation. She's been hanging with me this whole time while Chae has been with Jackson. 

"Is she planning to run away? Is she at Bobby's? Is she out of town already?" she asked rapidly as we sat down by the benches in the lobby.

I chuckled at her perseverance.

"This isn't funny Lisa. She's my best friend, she's been missing for three days, I don't know where she is, how she is. What if she needs me? What if she cries and no one's there?" she told me.

"Okay. She knows you'll be worried, but she told me to tell you that she's okay. She just needs some time to herself. She's not really missing if someone knows where she is right? I'll make sure she stays in town and doesn't go off. If she cries, I'll bring her some Mandu." I said to Jisoo. 

There really is more to them than their titles. Jisoo may seem like a flirt who can't take anything seriously, but she really is caring and thoughtful and loving.

"Can you at least tell her to answer my calls?" she bargained.

I nodded and chuckled softly.

"Alright, I will." I answer.

I take out my book in English and start reviewing it. We have a quiz today and I don't want to fail. Jisoo's sitting beside me and shuffling, it's kind of distracting. She looks over my shoulder then looks away, then looks back, and then looks away again.

"You're so boring." she groans after repeating the process of few times.

"Then go find one of your other friends or something, I have a quiz." I tell her playfully.

"My friend is missing and you're the closest I have to one right now." she replies with the same tone.

"Oh, so can I call you Chi Chu now?" I asked teased.

"Woah, easy there. I said you were close, but not my friend." she jokes.

We both share a laugh.

"Why are you so strict with school though? You remind me of Chae during freshmen year. The girl wouldn't dare go to the bathroom without a book in hand." she says.

"I'm on a scholarship. I have to maintain my grade." I answer. "What about you? How come you're so loose with school?" I asked in return.

"My parents are... expectant. They think I'll be doing great things so they enrolled me in advanced classes. Technically I'm graduating this year." she shrugs.

"And here I thought you were a slacker." I joked, getting pushed by Jisoo lightly.

"Hey you two!" a girl called from the side. I watched as a blonde girl, slightly smaller than I am approached. She was wearing a simple green long sleeve top and jeans. If green wasn't mean to look good on anyone, then she's definitely proving people wrong.

"Hey G!" Jisoo greeted with a smile. "This is Lisa. She's Jennie's... friend?" she introduces me teasingly.

I roll my eyes at her and reach out a hand to meet her friend.

"I'm Lisa and I'm not defined by who my friends are." I introduce myself proudly.

"Ooh, confident and independent. I like her." the girl says. "I'm Giselle. Basketball team captain and Jisoo's ex." she introduces herself playfully.

I raise my brows, it might be a little awkward for them.

"Don't worry, we're good," she adds, taking away my uneasiness. "How's Jennie? I heard about the fight. Is she okay?" she asked Chu.

"Uh... yeah. She's just taking some time to herself, she's going through something rough right now." she answered.

Giselle nodded.

"I just wanted to check on her... and you. How are you? I know it's tough for you when it's tough for Jennie." she asked in a caring tone. You can really tell that these two have a history. 

"I'm fine. Just... trying to be here for her." Chu answered with a smile.

"Oh, well... maybe I can help take your mind off it? Want to go grab that lunch later? I have the rest of the day off, we can catch up as you suggested." Giselle offered nicely.

I waited for Chu's response. She'll obviously say no. I mean, I don't think she'll actually go have lunch with her ex while she and Chae are not in a good place. 

"I'd love to!" she answers.

_Plot twist. She said yes._

"Great! See you later." Giselle said and flashed me and Chu a smile.

"Uh... what?" I asked once the blonde was gone.

"It's just lunch, don't make a big deal about it." Jisoo told me.

"But she's your ex. Wouldn't that be bad? Like, what if she wants you back? Or what if she has an evil plan to make you fall in love with her and then just break your heart?" I asked.

"What are we a movie? Look, G and I broke up because we both wanted different things, but it was a mutual desicion. She doesn't want me back because she has a boyfriend. As for evil plans, she couldn't make me fall in love with her even if she tried." Jisoo answered cooly. "Exes can be friends you know?" she added.

I nodded unsure of Jisoo's statement. How could exes be friends? Wouldn't there be too much history?

"Are you not friends with your exes? Did it end that badly?" she asked and I only gave her an undefined look. "Oh my God. Lalisa Manobangs"

_Manobangs. Ayoo. Just because I have bangs? Why???_

"Have you never been in a relationship?" Jisoo asked. I looked away to hide the obvious truth.

"Oh my- how?" she asks teasingly. "How have you not been in a relationship?" she chuckled.

I glared at her. Okay, yeah, so I have never had a boyfriend or a girlfriend. So what? I'm perfectly happy with what I am and what I have right now. It's just... lonely sometimes, I've got no one to share these moments with. The raven-haired girl kept laughing at the newfound fact.

"No wonder you're so uptight!" she chuckles more and then suddenly stops. "Wait. Does that mean that you've never... had sex?" she asked seriously.

I gave her an unbelieving look.

"Oh... Lisa... now I understand why... you're sexually frustrated." she says, putting an "understanding" hand on my shoulder. I brush it off and she laughs again.

"Holy shit! You're holier than Chaeng!" she laughs more.

"Screw you!" I pouted and got up with my things to walk away.

I walked for a while before Jisoo caught up with me.

"So was Jennie your first kiss?" she asked.

I gave her an annoyed look.

"What? I'm curious. I promise I won't tell." she says and winks playfully.

"What about it if she was?" I asked, acting like I'm not affected by her teasing smirks and pushes.

"Dang... you gave your first kiss to the girl you keep pushing away and saying you'll never go with. The irony is entertaining," she remarks.

"I never said she was my first kiss." I defend.

"You also didn't say no." she rebutted.

We wander the halls, we don't have class for another 10 minutes and we're just mindlessly walking. I wondered how Jennie was right now? She may be at Bobby's and they may be friends, but I don't know what kind of a friend Bobby is. Maybe they'll give Jennie drinks? Oh God, what if she gets wasted? What if she didn't have her breakfast? I talked with her last night before I went to sleep to make sure she's okay but I couldn't text her this morning. Maybe I should text her?

**JENNIE POV**

"You're an idiot! You're both clearly in love with each other, how can you miss that?" I say while throwing some popcorn on the screen. I'm watching some trashy rom-com and the characters are as stupid as the plotline.

"You're cleaning this mess up." Bobby says as they walk into the room, gesturing to the popcorn on the floor and dishes on the sink.

"But I'm going through something." I whine playfully.

They've been kind enough to let me stay at their place for a while, just until I figure out what I'm going to do. I wanted to go to my dad's, but he's gone. Literally, the guy moved to another state just to get away from me. It's really more painful when your only hear it from his lawyer and he leaves you with a letter saying _I'm sorry, but I can't fight for you the way you need me to. I love you._

I'm obviously upset by that, but I'm not going to be too hurt about it. Why waste time on someone who doesn't want you in the first place right? New rule! only spend time on people who actually want you. That being said, even if my mom has the entire police force looking for me I'm not going home. All this is happening because of her and I don't have the energy to deal with BamBam.

"What are you watching?" Bobby asked, putting a bag of groceries on the kitchen counter. They have a small apartment, big enough for two. It's a minimalist style so she doesn't have many items.

"Nothing," I answer and turn off the tv. "Are you cooking?" I asked. "I can help if you want? I haven't cooked in a while." I added.

"No, it's fine. I'll order something for us. The groceries are for my girlfriend. She's coming over in a weeks, so I thought I'd stock up." she answered.

"Who is she anyway? I've never met her." I ask her.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she replies, smirking. "Her name's Winter. She's from Korea. She's coming to visit me so we can celebrate one year together." she added.

"Oh, that's cool." I say. Honestly, it's all nothing to me. The whole grand gesture is hard to appreciate. No one's done anything like that for me, not my dad or mom, so how can I expect it from other people?

"What about you? When's your girlfriend coming over again?" Bobby asked. I furrow my brows. _Who's my girlfriend?_ "Lisa. The girl that brought you here and danced with you during one of my parties. The girl who you keep flirting with, but never really go full on because you're... I dunno, scared?" she adds lightly.

"Oh, Lisa's not my girlfriend. She's just being helpful and being there for me." I tell them. 

_My one rule, remember? I don't do love. It'll only disappoint. I can't let myself see Lisa in any other way besides a girl who I'm flirting with. Sure, I'm interested in getting to know her, but I don't think I'll be falling for her. I haven't with all the people I've been with, so why is she any different?_

"It's still hard to believe. With the way you two are towards each other... there's something more then Jen. You should go explore it. Who knows, maybe this time you'll fall in love?" Bobby suggested.

"Love is for suckers B. I don't need love when I'm only going to get hurt." I tell them.

They purse their lips and nod. Lisa and I are not going to be a thing. I'm not her type and I don't fall for anyone.

\--

It's 8 pm and I'm downstairs at the club helping Bobby set up for tonight's shift. They agreed to let me stay, but I'm not just going to slack off. I'm organizing some things because tonight, Bobby wants me "running" the club. I'm pretty sure it's just to prove to themselves or myself about her offer.

"So, how are we doing?" Bobby asks, appearing by my side.

"So far so good. The tables were rearranged to fit the cool theme tonight. I also asked for lighting to be dimmed instead of turned off. A classy, but appropriate move. I love the neon, but it hurts the eyes after a while, besides it's a Thursday. Students don't come in till Fridays, so we're good." I told them.

"I love my neon lights." they say, putting a hand over their chest acting all hurt.

"Yeah, well your general average of costumers during Thursdays are guys in I.T and some business people. Neon lights don't fit their style." I argued playfully.

"Fine, do what you think is best. Just don't drink while on the job." they said and walked away.

We set up for about 30 minutes more, the lights are dimmed and the mood is set. Our first customers come in not a minute later and business starts to flow. I'll mostly be at the bar, waiting to see if anyone needed assistance. I've gotten a few people asking for my number, I tell them I'm a minor and their faces are priceless. Except for this one guy who kept insisting to get my number, so I gave him my mom's.

_Yikes. Maybe I shouldn't have. What if she divorces Derek and the dude becomes my new dad? Yeesh._

"Jennie," the bartender called me, tapping my shoulder. "There's someone waiting for you upstairs. Bobby said to take 30." he said.

I nodded and left my clipboard on the counter. I went upstairs and I wasn't expecting to see a tall blonde laying out dinner by the table.

"What's all this?" I ask, a smile creeping on my face. She turns to me reciprocating the smile.

"Hey," she greets. "My dad cooked some food for you. He thought maybe you'd like something home made rather than take out." she explained.

I walk over to the table. Lisa brought some unusual dishes, probably a special of her dad's and some of my favorite Mandu.

"Why is your dad being nice to me?" I asked curiously.

"I don't know... maybe he's happy because I'm finally hanging out with someone?" she replied.

**LISA POV**

Of course, my dad has absolutely no idea about Jennie. What was I supposed to tell her? That I was the one who cooked these meals and decided to bring her some because she might've been hungry? Of course not! I'm in my right mind, I mean she might think of it as something when really, I'm just trying to be good to her.

We sat down for dinner, the flirtatious cat munching on the Mandu first.

"You're really enjoying those huh?" I remark. 

"I love Mandu. Tell your dad thanks by the way," she says. "So, did he force you to come by here, or were you more than willing to have a dinner date with me?" she asked playfully. _Classic Jennie._

"Why is everything we do a date to you?" I asked, chuckling softly.

"Because Lili, we are meant to be, so everything we do is a date." she joked.

"Psh, you're probably inexperienced in that department. I'm sure you can't take me out on a proper date." I jokingly challenged her.

She stops eating while I start taking bites out of my food. 

"Well, what did your exes do to count your dates with them as proper?" she asks, interested in the challenge.

I stopped eating. Not again with this question. I look at her, hoping she'd get the message.

"Oh... you've never been on a date..." she says. I nodded and we both go back to eating in silence. "Lili," she calls innocently after a while. I look up at her while chewing my food. "Do you want to go out on a date with me?" she asks, making me choke on my dish.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked, clarifying if I heard her right.

"Do you want to go out... on a date... with me...?" she asks again, unsure if she should've clarified.

Okay, I know it's weird, but why am I nervous about one question? The answer is obvious. No.

"N-no." I let out.

"It doesn't have to mean anything. Think of it as me helping you get some experience?" she said, still unsure of what she was saying. "I can... show you what a date is like and then you'll know what to expect if someone asks you to go on a date with them." she added.

"Are you asking me because of my lack of experience or because we kissed?" I asked. "Because if you think that you have some kind of responsibility of dating me for it, don't worry, we were drunk and we weren't thinking straight. Plus, people in school will talk and your rep-"

"I don't care about my reputation. And I'm not asking because we kissed. I'm just trying to... help you out?" she interrupted. "Plus the kiss was... unexpected and was probably because of the alcohol," she said. "So... do you want to... go?" she asked.

**CHAEYOUNG POV**

The utensils hitting the ceramic plates are starting to get on my nerves. Never have I had a dinner with my family that was this awkward.

"So Jackson, I hear you're the captain of the basketball team. When's the next game so I can watch you play?" my dad asked.

"Actually, I'm the co-captain sir. Our next game is somewhere around the corner, Friday next week. It actually is on the same day as Chaeyoung's dance performance." he answers like the good little boy he is.

My parents invited Jackson over for dinner to "get to know him" but really it's just their way of trying to see if he and I are doing okay.

"Oh, I'll make sure to clear my schedule for that then. How are you and Rosie doing? I see that you two have gone out on a few dates this week already." he asks with a smile.

"Uh... yeah. I'm sorry if I'm stealing her too much away from you." he says and glances at me with a thin smile. I can tell he's not as comfortable with the conversation as I am. We both know why. Most of our dates are dry and usually involves him doing most of the talking and the planning. I think he gets the message that I'm not into him that much.

"O shush honey, you're making them both shy to talk." my mom says. 

I cleared my throat and put down my utensils.

"I think I'm going to go to my room. I'm a little tired." I say.

"Nonsense, Jackson is still here." my mom said, giving me a look that says you're dead if you get up.

"But my head hurts and I'm cold." I reasoned.

"Jackson is still here, let's not be rude to our guests." she says again.

"It's okay Mrs. Park. School has been a little bit draining today," he says. "I enjoyed the dinner very much. Thank you. I'll walk Chaeyoung back to her room. I hope you all have a good night." he says and gets up, offering a hand to me.

I glance back at the rest of my family, Alice holding back a chuckle and my parents practically in love with Jackson. I take his hand and we walk to my room.

"You should get some good night rest. Your hands are pretty cold." he says.

"I'm sorry for being like that. I'm just... tired." I said sadly. 

Like I said before, Jackson's a good guy, but I tried my best to entertain him and I still feel... nothing.

"No worries. Just make sure you get good rest." he says as we reach my room. "I'll see you at school Chaeyoung." he adds and turns to leave.

\--

I'm done changing into my pajamas and my mom walks in the room just as I button my last button.

"What was that? Why were you so rude to Jackson this evening? You barely spoke a word to him." she asked.

"I'm tired mom. Can I please get some rest?" I told her.

"First tell me. Are you two official yet?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"If I give you an answer will you leave me alone?"

"Only if it's yes."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because... I don't think I like him like that. Actually, I do know that I don't like him like that."

"Is it because of your friends? Did they say bad things about him? He's the best candidate there is."

"Candid- mom. We're in the 21st century. Nobody arranges anymore."

"Is it because of Jisoo?"

I paused. Here she goes again. Last time she asked what Jisoo was to me when I asked her to cook some breakfast for Chu. Now she's asking if the reason why I can't get with Jackson is because Jisoo tells me no. _Yes, mom. It's because of her. But it's not for the reasons you think. I love her. That's why no one will ever be good enough for me._

"No." I answer instead and move to my bed.

"That friend of yours is bad for you. She drinks alcohol and dresses like-"

"Mom. Stop." I cut her off before she says something she might regret. "Jisoo is my- friend. The way she is is not her fault. You don't know what she's been through. Don't say anything about her unless it's going to be good." I tell her defensively.

"You know I asked around about that girl. Rumor has it she ran away from home. She also has a girlfriend. Can you believe it? A girl with a girl?" she says. "It just makes me even more proud of you," she adds and tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. "You're with a good guy and unlike them, you're not going to hell because of all the good works you do."

"Mom stop!" I raise my voice a little, pushing her hand off. "You have no right to talk about Jisoo like that. Her life is her life. If she loves someone then she loves someone. Just because she doesn't conform to your beliefs mean that she'll go to hell. News flash if you actually listened to the pastor, good works don't grant you paradise." I snapped at her. "Jisoo is in my life and it will remain that way. Not you or dad or Jackson can change that because I-" _WAIT. STOP._ I thought about my next words carefully. "She's important to me. And I don't leave anyone important behind." I add.

She looks at me kind of shocked.

"Oh my sweet baby has been influenced by the devil," she says and takes my hands. "I'll pray for you my child." she says and bows her head.

A tear falls down my cheek seeing how she reacted to me just hinting that I'm supporting Jisoo. How else would she react if she knew the truth?

"Mom... will you not love me if I was like Jisoo?" I asked after she completed her 5-minute prayer.

"Baby, I'll always love you... but I can't have any daughter of mine going to hell and being like the rest of the world. We must be righteous and follow what the Bible says." she tells me and kisses my forehead before leaving.

And now you know why I can't come out. Even if I wanted to, I'd be losing my family and who knows, maybe they'll even disown me.

I lie down and take my phone out. I open one of the voice recordings and put it to my ear.

_"Hey, chipmunk!"_ Jisoo's voice said. _"We're on our first official date as a couple and I wanted to let you know that I love you. More than the stars in the sky or the sands in the desert."_ she says and chuckles, making me smile while another tear comes out of my eye. _"I sound like God talking to Moses."_ she laughs out. _"I know I won't always be available to pick up the phone or be there physically, but I recorded this for one of those times. I love you chipmunk! You're doing really amazing and I am so proud of you. No matter how hard it was today, just know that I'll always be here to be your number one supporter and lover."_ she continues.

_"What are you doing with my phone?"_ I hear myself ask in the background.

_"I'm just telling you how much I love you and how amazing you are."_ Chu answered happily and the recording ends.

I've kept it on my phone and I listen to it every time Chu and I aren't together. I cry into my pillow at the remembrance of her. _I want to fight. I miss her every day and I want to fight for her. But how do I begin?_

I send Lisa a quick text before closing my phone and going to sleep. _I'll fight Chu... I'll try._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nice to see you at the end of the chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! I'm going to take a day or two break to write the 10th chapter which will heavily be about Chaeyoung and Jisoo. There's also going to be something for Jenlisa there so don't worry. What do you think Lisa said about the date though? Did she say yes? Or no? I'll see you guys in the next chapter! Sorry for any spelling or grammatical errors!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Checkpoint chapter! I was pretty hyped writing this because of the Pretty Savage stage the Pinks did in James Corden so... enjoy😏

**JISOO POV**

I watched as Jennie paced around. She finally answered my calls and asked to meet in Bobby’s apartment, apparently the bitch has been hanging around here all this time. She called me saying that she needed my help with something, so I quickly came despite promising Giselle that we’d hang out for dinner after I had to cancel lunch because Lisa asked me for help with some grocery shopping.

My best friend is deep in her thoughts, not able to understand what just happened an hour ago.

“I’m pretty right?” she asked out of the blue, stopping her pace and turning to me, hands on her waist. “I mean, I’m prettier than average, I’m hot, and I’m popular. So what’s not clicking?” she asked, crossing her arms.

I let out a sigh. If I knew that the help she needed was this low I would’ve still come, but I would’ve brought Chae with me. These things are not my expertise.

“Yes Jennie, you are all those things.” I agreed with her, bored.

“Then how can she say no when I asked her out on a date?” she asked, unbelieving that someone rejected her.

“Maybe you really just aren’t her type. It happens you know? Plus, she’s rejected you multiple times, what made you think this time would be different?” I answered her. Jen asked Lisa out which was a totally unusual move from her, but sort of predictable at this point.

Don’t say it was a surprise. We all know that Jennie has a thing for Lisa and so does the Thai. It’s just them who are dumb enough not to see it.

“But, I’m Jennie Kim. Nobody says no to me.” she reasons.

I purse my lips inward, trying my best to hold a chuckle, but it comes out and Jennie’s not amused.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I tell her chuckling still. “It’s just that rejection looks terrible on you.” I teased her.

“Ugh!” she grunts and falls on the couch. My chuckles die down and the vibe becomes serious again.

“Okay, look. Why don’t you just do us all a favor and admit that you have a crush on her? Maybe then she’ll say yes.” I suggested.

“I don’t have crushes.” Jennie says, glaring at me.

“Seriously, the whole I don’t like people thing is getting old.” I tell her. She turns to me with furrowed brows. “I get what you went through to come up with the idea that people will eventually leave you, but not everyone is like your parents… and neither are you.” I add. Knowing Jennie, deep down she thinks she’s just like her mom and her dad. Someone who’ll hurt people and leave. That’s why she acts the way she is. One person to the other. She’s scared of getting attached and being left… or worse, her leaving and breaking someone’s heart.

“I’m here aren’t I? You can tell yourself that I’ll leave you someday, but you’re unfortunately stuck with me forever Jenduekie. Chae may not have been with us for years and years, but she’s here for you too. Lisa, despite all the atrocities you’ve done to her,” I say playfully. “Is here for you. She’s letting you be a part of her life and you should do the same. You clearly want to, but like Chae… you’re scared of stepping out of your safe zone.” I continue. “But you need to know that when it comes to love… any type of love, you need to take risks. Even if it means getting your heartbroken.” I finish.

She looks at me with eyes that hint at understanding and fear. I move closer to her and put an arm around her.

“You know you have me for life right? I’m never leaving even if everyone does. You could murder someone and I’d help you hide the body and provide you with an alibi.” I tell her playfully, but sincerely.

She chuckles at the statement.

“Though, I am a little upset that you didn’t tell me about your brother. BamBam? Really? Now I feel worse for you.” I added. “Is he the one we were supposed to meet 2 years ago? Your old best friend?” I asked. She nodded and made herself comfortable by scooting closer to me. “Well, you’re better off without him, plus you have me. Obviously, I’m better than him.” I tell her cockily.

We both chuckle softly and remain in silence for a few more minutes.

\--

**CHAEYOUNG POV**

“I’m really sorry for the sudden change Lisa. I just… I feel like this is what we should do instead of the dance we originally had.” I said to the blonde, apologizing since last night that I texted her.

“Rosie, I already told you. It’s okay. I’m just not sure about the whole singing thing.” she assured me with a gentle smile. “I’m not a singer. I’m not like you.” she adds.

“That’s the thing, the song is easy and we can put it on a scale that fits both of us. And you haven’t even tried, so how do you know if you’re bad at it?” I replied to her.

I asked Lisa if we could change our set for the dance project. We’re performing it this weekend and I thought it was the perfect time to give Jisoo a small gift, maybe she’ll understand what I mean by it. I consulted with our teacher already and they said it was okay, the only thing is, we’re singing as well and Lisa has never sung in front of people.

“What if I mess up? What if my voice breaks? We could get a bad grade for it.” she excused.

“Then… I’ll do your homework for the rest of the semester,” I told her. “Please?” I asked, making puppy eyes.

“Fine.” she says rolling her eyes playfully and locking our arms together.

We head to the dance room to start working on it. It’s a good thing I told Lisa last night ‘cause today we’re both in sweats and rubber shoes. We can just change later. We put our bags down once we get there and I start the music. Lisa said she’ll need to listen to the song before being able to come up with choreography, so that’s what we do for a good 10 minutes.

“Okay, this seems like something completely opposite of what we did. It’s sweeter than I thought it’d be,” she remarks. “Right… so first let’s do simple steps. Let’s start with the verse then we can move to the chorus.” she says.

“Oh, I was actually thinking I could play it on the piano in the beginning and then after the first verse, the upbeat music comes in.” I said.

“Okay, so from the piano, you could start. After the first verse, I’ll appear and continue the second verse.” she says and starts laying down the foundation of her part. “Okay, next you and I join in center stage and have a dance together for the riff.” she says. I nod and follow along, listening to her instructions. She’s more light than the last time. 

“Oh, what if for this part we point to the crowd and give them a kiss?” I suggested.

“Yeah, we could do that. That’s not a bad idea.” she says and we proceed to move to the hook.

We’re dancing playfully and it’s the most fun I’ve had in weeks. Lisa and I join hands and follow the music, laughing while we do so.

“You two seem to be having fun.” a familiar voice remarks, making both Lisa and I turn to their direction.

“Jennie.” I say shocked to see her in school. “Where have you been?” I asked as I rushed to give her a hug. I feel myself about to cry, I’m always emotional. I cry about the smallest things.

“At Bobby’s. I see you missed me.” she said, returning the hug.

“Are you insane?” I ask, pulling away. “You disappeared for a week, your mom has the police looking for you, and you just show up like nothing happened?” I added.

“I needed time to think some things through. And I don’t care what my mom thinks. Her opinion doesn’t matter to me anymore. I’m turning 18 in 3 weeks, I’ll be free from her then.” she answers casually. “What were you two doing? You seemed… close.” she says, a hint of jealousy in her voice.

“Dance practice. We changed our set.” Lisa answered from behind. “I didn’t know you were coming back to school today,” she adds, coming towards me and Jennie. “Are you sure you’re ready to come back?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Jennie answered. “That reminds me, the way I asked you out yesterday wasn’t the best way,” Jennie began, making me raise my brows.  _ That’s unexpected.  _ “What I meant to say last night was, I like you. Go on a date with me?” she asked ever so coolly.

Lisa chuckles softly and the school bell rings.

“Sorry Jennie, my answer is still no.” the blonde answers and takes her bag. “See you guys.” she says before leaving Jennie and me in the room.

“Are you two dating? Is that why she says no to me? Because you two seem closer than before and I’m getting worried.” Jennie quickly asks me once the blonde was gone.

“Woah, I already have my hands full with one love triangle, I don’t want to add another.” I say defensively. “Lisa and I are just friends. She’s all yours.” I tell her.

We both paused for a moment.

“Wait. Did you just say you like her?” I asked, remembering the whole scene.”

“Don’t make a big deal out of it or else I’ll change my mind.” she tells me sternly.

I nodded. I wanted to squeal because finally, Jennie is taking a huge step into finding the love that she deserves. 

“I don’t get it. I already said I liked her, but why won’t she say yes still?” she wondered, frustrated.

“Doesn’t mean that you tell her you like her she’ll give you the time of day.” I remark, making her look at me curiously.

“But Jisoo said-”

“Jisoo forgot to explain that just telling them isn’t enough.” I cut her off. Jisoo isn’t at the best when it comes to these things. She means well, but sometimes it’s lacking. “You’re the school’s biggest heartbreaker, we caught you making out with someone last week, and let’s admit it, you’re a little bit of a narcissist.” I tell her and put up a hand when she tried to speak up. “Lisa isn’t going to say yes to you with that kind of background. Show her that you’re serious. Stop flirting with every person that notices you and stop trying to make trouble for yourself because it’ll be trouble for her,” I tell her. “The last time she said yes to you, you helped her with BamBam. Try doing that again. Think of her before you think of yourself.” I recommended.

She thinks about it. It might actually be sinking in on her.

“Good luck Jen.” I tell her before taking my bag. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” I add and tap her shoulder before leaving her with the idea.

\--

**JISOO POV**

I’m sitting at the bench by the lobby, Jennie finally came back to school and I’m waiting for Giselle. Lunch with her yesterday was a bust, so lunch today was a replacement. I scrolled through my phone as I waited for her to arrive when a pair of hands covered my eyes.

“Guess who?” Giselle said playfully.

“The mother of dragons?” I answered, playing along.

She chuckled and removed her hands.

“Damn, you do look like Khaleesi.” I joked seeing her.

“Are you ready for lunch?” she asked.

“Yup, does your boyfriend know you’re going on a date with your ex?” I asked teasingly.

“He does, and he feels a little threatened since you’re pretty.” she flirted playfully and hooked our arms.

“Well, I can’t blame him, I’d be jealous of me too.” I replied.

\--

“Wait, wait. So Jennie is finally going to settle with someone?” Giselle asked, amazed by the news I told her.

“Yup. Someone finally made her fall.” I jokingly said.

She chuckled at the comment.

“Wow. That is something to celebrate.” she joked. “How is Lisa with her though? Are they all in love or something?” she asked lightly.

Giselle and I have been sitting here at McDonalds enjoying some nuggets and coke floats for an hour now. It’s fun to hear that she’s doing everything she said as planned and that she’s happy in her new relationship.

“Um… not quite. Lisa is hesitant, but then again who wouldn’t be. And Jennie is still working on letting people in. But they do care about each other and I think that they’ll figure things out.” I answered.

“That’s nice…” Giselle said, her voice lowering now. “What about you? How’s your love life going? We’ve talked about mine and Jennie’s, but yours is still a mystery.” she asks playfully.

_ It’s going great! I’m currently single because the girl of my dreams has a boyfriend and her homophobic parents hate me. _

“Uh… I don’t think I have a love life.” I said, trying to dodge the question.

“Really? What happened to you and Chaeyoung?” she asked curiously.

I looked at her confused. I was sure no one knew about Chaeyoung and I and I sure as hell didn’t say anything to Giselle.

“Don’t act all surprised, it’s obvious that the two of you are dating.” she says.

I stayed quiet for a moment.

“You know, she was probably the only person I was jealous of.” Giselle remarked and took a bite out of the nugget. “She was your best friend, but the way she looked at you was… different. Nothing like Seulgi. It was like she cared for you more than a best friend would and… I just thought that maybe she liked you.” she explained. “Did you two actually date?” she asked.

I nodded.

“How long?” she asked.

“Two years.” I answered. “About… 3 months after we broke up, we started spending more time together and… I just fell.” I added.

She smiled sweetly at me

“And how are you two now?” she asked.

“We broke up…” I answered. “Her parents don’t know about her and me.”

“Oh… are they against you?” she asked, tilting her head, voice laced with concern. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry, I don’t mean to pry. You don’t have to answer that.” she quickly adds.

“No, it’s fine. Her parents are religious and she’s the embodiment of the perfect daughter. I don’t hate her for it… but I got tired of always hiding and she’s not ready to come out.” I told her. “I love her still, but I don’t think it’s healthy for us to keep going unless we’re out.” I added.

Giselle nodded and smiled thinly. She reached for my hands and rubbed her thumb over it.

“Your time will come Jisoo. You two have a special bond and I don’t think your story’s going to end here.” she says sweetly. “Don’t lose hope. She might surprise you.” she added enthusiastically.

**JENNIE POV**

Okay, so I’m in class and everyone is looking at me. I know what they’re whispering about, but they could at least be more subtle about it. I glared at a pair of girls who were glancing at me nonstop throughout the class.

“Ms. Kim, what is the answer to this function?” the prof called on me.

“I’m sorry sir I don’t know the answer.” I answered confidently, remaining seated.

“Well I’m sure you would if you were here this week.” he said, taking a shot at me.

Teachers here are assholes. They know the student hierarchy, who’s on top and who’s on the bottom. Being on top means they’re kind of afraid of you because when evaluation comes, what you say matters. Plus my mom is the principal.

Nobody comes at me for shit, but if he is now that means that there’s something brewing on the higher ups.

“I’m sorry sir, but I was busy running the club where you met up with your girlfriend.” I say, loud enough for the whole class to hear and he stiffens. “How’s your wife by the way?” I asked with a smug look.

The whole class starts whispering. I’m not the scariest person in school for no reason. I know everyone’s secrets. Having eyes and ears around helps, and having a principal for a mom allows me to gain access to files. This moron is married and mistakenly made the choice of cheating on her. He brought his girlfriend to Bobby’s club one night. B keeps security cam footage and I watched them during one of the nights I was staying there. It was my luck to find prof with some teenage girl all over each other.

“How dare you disrespect me like that!” he exclaims.

“And how dare you try to embarrass me.” I say calmly and cooly. “F.Y.I, I may have gone through some sort of a rough patch last week, but I’m still Jennie Kim. I’m the definition of a bitch. So, if you don’t get on my good side, I can assure you that I will make your life a living hell.” I add. “That goes for everyone.” I tell the rest of the people in the room.

Perfect way of making them cower in fear.

The bell rings and the class slowly dispersed, with me still being the talk of the town. A student assistant came into the room.

“Kim, your mom is asking for you.” the prof says.

I confidently walked to the student assistant and the prof grabs my arm.

“Don’t you ever talk back to me like that again.” he says quietly, enough for us to hear.

“Then don’t call me out.” I replied coolly and brushed his hand off me.

\--

The student assistant opened the office door for me and I walked in. My mom was typing in her computer, but rushed to hug me when she saw me come in.

“I was so worried. Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where were you?” she asked rapidly.

I pulled away from her and took a seat in one of the chairs across her table.

“Why am I here?” I asked unamused.

“Jennie, you disappeared for a week, I think I deserve better than attitude from you.” my mom said sitting on the chair across from me.

“You tried to put my dad in jail. I think you don’t deserve the time I’m giving you.” I answered back. “Why am I here?” I asked again, this time meeting her eyes with my annoyed expression.

She sighed.

“I’m sorry about your dad. I know how you want to be with him, but he’s not good for you. All the bad things he could’ve said about me…” she said and took my hand. I pulled away immediately not wanting to touch her. She sighs again at the failed attempt. “I called you here because I wanted to see if you were okay and it seems like you are. I made some calls to your grandparents,” she begins, moving to her chair. I pay attention to her. My grandparents are in Korea, so this must be something. “I found a good school in Korea for you.” she continues.

“Why would I need a school in Korea?” I asked.

“Jennie, the board and I talked about everything that happened last week. They gave me a choice of expelling you or transferring you to a different school.” she says. “Your actions these past years have been very alarming and quite damaging to the school’s reputation. We need to take the best option and transfer you instead of having expulsion on your record.” she explains. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to move you back to Korea.” she finishes.

I’m speechless at what I just heard.  _ So that’s why that prof had the nerve. How can this be happening right now? Why am I the one who needs to be moved away? It’s not like I’m the problem. _

“You can’t send me to Korea. I’m not going.” I tell her.

“Jennie, you have to. I’m already fixing your transfer papers. You’ll move as soon as it’s done.” she replies.

“No!” I stand up. “I don’t have to listen to you! I’m turning 18 in a few weeks, you can’t boss me around anymore!” I exclaim.

“I am still your mother.” she responds with a stern tone.

“No! My mother left when I was 11. You… you’re just someone who has her face.” I tell her, disgusted.

_ How dare she call herself my mom, after everything she did? I’m sure BamBam was behind the idea. I’ll go to hell before I ever take them back. _

“You’re going to Korea. That’s the end of the discussion.” she says and sits back down.

I storm out the office. My first response is to go and punch someone or break something, but I found myself in the dance room and I have no idea how I got here. I’m breathing heavily, trying my best to keep myself calm. There’s soft music playing further into the room.

I walk in more to find a tall blonde dancing to a Chris Brown song. I could’ve sworn it’s City Girls. I watch by one corner as she executes the moves. They look easy, but by the way her body changes direction with speed and precision, I’m sure it’s hard.

I got distracted by her for a few moments until she stopped and saw me. Everything comes right back.

“Hey, how long have you been there? You weren’t just watching me right because that would be a little bit creepy.” Lisa said playfully, pausing the song.

I walk towards her, all my anger rising again and sad to say, she’s the only one in the room who’s going to take all of it.

“What’s wrong with me?” I asked frustrated. “What? Am I not pretty enough? Hot enough? Good enough?” I added.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, confused.

I have to focus everything I’m feeling on one thought and it can’t be Korea because I have no idea what I’ll do if I do. So Lisa is the one thing on my mind right now, the only thing is when I think of her, all I can think about is rejection.

“Why won’t you go on a date with me? I already told you I liked you and that it could help you, why do you still say no?” I demanded.

She tilted her head and studied me.

“You’re angry.” she says calmly. “But you’re not angry at me. What happened?” she asked.

My lips parted at the surprise that she knew.  _ How did she know? _

“I am angry at you.” I answered her.

“No, you’ve been rejected by me multiple times. You never get this angry, you’ll flirt your way back to your feet or be all sweet, but never angry. What happened Nini?” she asked. Hearing her call me Nini made me feel a certain calm inside. She sat on the floor and patted it for me to sit beside her.

“I… I just saw my mom.” I answered softly, unsure of what’s happening.

“Okay, and what did she say?” she asked. Her tone was a mixture of understanding and comfort.

“She’s transferring me to a school in Korea. She says I get into fights a lot and I’m ruining the school’s reputation.” I answered her. I feel my fast breathing stop and return to a normal. Though there is now a fast beating heart trapped in the cages of my ribs.

Lisa nodded and thought for a moment.

“Okay, it’s a matter of cause and effect. You get into fights a lot because you get angry easily, resulting in your mom having to make this decision. The solution is to not get into fights.” she says easily.

“But she already made up her mind.” I told her.

“Then change it. It’s simple. You want to stay here, learn to follow the rules. You may hate them, but like you said in the observatory, you’re turning 18 in a while. Just until then, live under her roof and follow her. After that, do what you want.” she explained.

“How do I get her to cancel the trip then?” I asked, Lisa seems to know what she’s talking about. I should listen to Lisa.

“Start with this,” she says and puts a hand over my chest.  _ Fuck.  _ I start to get nervous with the way she’s looking into my eyes. “Learn to control your anger. Breathe.” she added. 

I unconsciously follow what she tells me to do, her hands gently rubbing my chest to calm me down. I was already calm until she put her hand there, but hey, this isn’t that bad.

We breathe together for a minute and she smiles at the sudden calmness.

“Good, now that you’re calm,” she says and takes her hands away. “Go talk to her. Let her know why you did what you did and promise that you won’t do it again. Bargain with her.” she added.

“You’re asking me to apologize to her and lower my pride.” I tell her.  _ I will never do that. Not in a million years. _

“Do you want to stay here?” she asked and I nodded. “Then do that.” she says. She gets up and starts putting her things in her bag. I follow her.

“Why are you doing this? Better yet, how are you doing this?” I asked her.

“Doing what?” she asks, not looking up.

“Calming me.” I answer.

“I told you I’d be here right? You needed someone, I’m here. I already told you I’m not leaving you Jennie.” she said in a comforting tone. She put her bag over her shoulder and faced the direction of the exit.

“Even if I get angry?” I asked curiously.

“Even so.” she assures me and starts walking.

“Wait,” I stop her. “Go on a date with me.” I tell her. She turns back and walks towards me.

“I appreciate what you’re trying to do Jennie. And I’m flattered that you do take interest in me, but I want my first date to be real. Not because someone wants to help me get experience or just because someone said they like me just to get me to say yes. I need to know if it’s real and not just because they want to get me to bed or because I’m pretty.” she explains. “You’re beautiful Jennie. Very. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. I really am flattered, but I have to say no.” she says before leaving the room.

_ Ouch. Rejection 2.0.  _ It hurt, but in a way it also didn’t.

\--

**CHAEYOUNG POV**

Jackson and I are walking together to lunch. I need to be honest with him and just end everything. It’s unfair to him to expect something out of us when I have no intentions of actually saying yes to him.

“I talked with him and he said he was coming back to school as soon as things cooled down which is probably next week.” he said, talking about his best friend. “I was thinking for this weekend that I could treat your parents to the new restaurant in town. I asked around and the reviews said it was good.” he added.

We both sat down in one of the free tables available. I can’t exactly just tell him off, it’s going to raise some eyebrows. Jackson is one of the best guys in this school. He’s a gentleman, kind, sweet, and very friendly, telling him off must have a good reason.

“What about you?” he asks. I looked up at him unsure of what he was talking about. I must’ve spaced out. “The show. Is there something you want to do after? Like, ice cream? Or the docks?” he asked.

“Oh, uh… yeah, no. I don’t have plans for after.” I answered.  _ Okay, now tell him.  _ “Uh… maybe- maybe it’s best if we don’t do anything after.” I suggested shyly.

“How come? Your parents are coming to watch, I’m sure they’d want to celebrate us winning the game and your performance.” he says confidently, smiling like he always does.

_ Ugh! This would be so much easier if he was as bad as BamBam. _

“Um… okay… Jackson, I…”

“Hey, is everything okay?” he asked, concern lacing his voice and his smile disappearing.

I look at him, trying to speak, but nothing comes out. I probably look like an idiot. He smiled understandingly after a few seconds and looked away.

“I get it…” he says after a minute. I look at him for some clarification. “I know you don’t like me.” he says and meets my eyes. I gave him a sorry look and he just chuckled softly. “It’s okay, you don’t have to be sorry.” he tells me. “I kinda felt like you hadn’t really moved on from whoever was your past… is it Jisoo?” he continues.

_ Do I come out? Do I lie? What do I do? Honesty Chaeng. Honesty. _

I nod as an answer, still a little scared of saying yes out loud, but hey it’s a start right?

“She did seem a little too protective for a best friend when she saw me.” he chuckled a little.

“What?” I asked, furrowing my brows.

“Oh, she pulled me out of practice about a week ago, told me some of your favorite things, what you like and don’t like, what to do and not to do… she said if I ever made you cry she’d bury my body where no one would find it. She’s kind of scary you know.” he says a little playfully.

I chuckle. It does sound like Chu.

“I could also tell that she cares about you a lot… what happened between you two?” he asked.

“You know my parents… I can’t come out. The relationship was unfair to her. I let her go…” I answered him.

“So, you were only going out with me because your parents asked you to?” he asked.

I nodded again.

“But, I tried to like you. I swear. It’s just that… I’m really not into boys like that and I’m… madly in love with my best friend.” I told him.

His small smile turns into a bright one.

“That’s… really sweet.” he says. “I get your situation. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. Thank you for being honest with me though.” he adds.

“It was wrong to keep it going and make you hope for nothing.” I told him. “Any person in their right mind would do the same.” I added.

“Most people wouldn’t… they’d let it keep going until someone was hurt badly.” he replied. “What do you want to do now?” he asked.

“Well… for starters, I have to think of something that can explain why we didn’t work out. I mean, my parents think I’m the perfect daughter and we’re the perfect match. I don’t know how I’ll explain it to them.” I answered him.

He hummed and thought for a while, leaving an awkward silence between us.

“Okay, how about… we felt like we were doing okay, but we figured out that we want different things? We’ve only gone out on a few dates and technically this is the time when we get to know each other, so us not working out because of differences makes sense.” he suggested.

I nodded. It seems good enough for now, but I’m sure my parents are going to find some way around it. For now, we’ll use that.

“Okay, we’ll use that.” I tell him.

“What’s your plan with Jisoo?” he asked curiously. “Are you planning on getting back with her?”

“That’s something to be worked on. I’m not going to just ask her to take me back, much more with the fact that I haven’t come out to my parents or anyone.” I answered him. “I want to do right by her, after everything she’s been through… she deserves better.” I added.

He nodded and smiled.

“It’s nice to hear that. If you need any help with anything, I’ll be here okay?” he says and gets up.

“Wait, where are you going? You don’t have to leave.” I tell him. 

“I have something to do. Don’t worry, I won’t be a stranger.” he says and winks. It’s not flirtatious, just something friendly if that even makes any sense.

\--

**JENNIE POV**

I took a deep breath before knocking on my mom’s office door. She stops whatever she’s doing once I get inside. I calmly sit across her and made myself look like someone who’s about to present a proposal for a business meeting.

“Jennie?” she says.

“I’m sorry.” I say, trying to sound as sincere as I can be. “I got hot headed and acted on my emotions. I’m sorry.” I tell her, struggling to keep this whole thing up.

“This is… very mature of you.” she remarks, clearly surprised by my apology.

“I don’t want to go to Korea.” I tell her, still calm.

“Jennie,” she begins.

“Please. I’ll stop fighting with BamBam and stop making a mess at school. I’ll peacefully finish this semester and you won’t see me in here again.” I promised her.

“Will you come home?” she asked.

“I can’t…” I answer.

She lets out a sigh.

“Mom please. I’ve already been through enough. I can’t live in the house where I’m reminded of what you did and my ex best friend. Don’t make me go through that. I’ve already promised to behave, I can’t do more.” I told her in a pleading tone.

“But you’re my daughter…”

“I am. And if you do love me like you always tell me, you’ll let me be. I won’t cause any trouble for you or for the school, just please, don’t throw me to Korea or make me live in the house.” I tell her.

There’s a pause between us.

“I’ll think about it… I’ll still be processing your papers, but if you can prove to me that you mean what you say… then okay.” she adds.

A small smile appears on my face. 

“Thank you…” I tell her.

“Where are you staying?” she asks. “Do you need any money?” she added.

“No. I’m staying at Bobby’s. They’re letting me use their apartment, but they offered me a deal to use one of their rooms in exchange for service at the club.” I answer her.

“Jennie-”

“Don’t worry, I’m not drowning myself in liquor. I’m just helping run the place.” I tell her.

She heaves and nods. I flash her one more smile before walking out the office.

\--

“I don’t get why this is such a huge deal. Honestly, you’re Jennie Kim, you can wear a trash bag and make it look like it was from Channel.” Jisoo remarked as I rummaged through my closet.

“Chu, please. Just help me okay? You’re always hyping me up and telling me that  _ I’m Jennie Kim _ , well not tonight. At least not the one I’ve been.” I tell her. “This is… important. The first important thing that I’ve ever let happen in the last few years, so don’t ask questions and just help me.” I add.

She gave me an understanding look and walked towards me. She looked through the closet and took out a black floral dress with white collars. 

“Go casual. You’re not attending a club or going to a formal party.” she says and hands me the dress.

**LISA POV**

I was in my room practicing the dance Chaeyoung and I polished this afternoon at school. She told me that her and Jackson were done which made her more excited and enthusiastic to perform our new set this weekend. I’m happy that she’s taking small steps to really break out her shell.

I’m about to try my favorite part which was the kiss we give to the audience at a certain part of the song when the doorbell rang. My mom said she got it and so I went back to dancing. A few minutes later she’s calling for me.

“Mom?” I called from my room.

“Lisa, could you come down for a minute?” she asked from downstairs. I wiped myself with a towel and fixed my hair up in a bun. I went down wearing my sweats and a cropped shirt.

It’s a casual look, I didn’t think that I’d have to dress up just by being here at home. As I was walking down the stairs, I could see both my parents by the door, which was strange. I took the last step down and saw-

“Jennie?” I asked, seeing the brunette standing outside the door. She was holding some flowers and was wearing a dress. “What are you doing here?” I asked, standing by my parents.

_ Why the hell am I always wearing something hideous when she comes over? _

“I, uh…” she stuttered. I raised my brow waiting for an answer. She looked so different from her usual. Her makeup was light and innocent and her dress was really cute. She looked like she couldn’t bark at anyone.

“Jennie?” I asked again. She cleared her throat and nervously blinked. She glanced behind her and I saw Jisoo in her car cheering her on. These two are like twins cursed to stay together forever.

She opened her mouth but nothing came out. I didn’t know if I wanted to chuckle or help her out.

“Mr. and Mrs. Manoban,” she says suddenly, locking everyone’s attention on her. “My name is Jennie Kim, I go to the same school as Lisa.” she began. “I’m known as the heartbreaker of the school— which I probably shouldn’t tell you right now because it’ll leave a bad impression of me, but I’m really nervous and I’m gonna stop.” she rambled.  _ Cute _ . “I asked your daughter out on a date yesterday and I told her it didn’t have to be anything but for experience,” she continued.

_ Okay, where is this going? _ She’s actually making me nervous right now.  _ Why is she bringing that up? Please don’t make her ask me out if it’s just for some experience. _

“She turned me down and I asked her again saying I liked her in the hopes that she’ll say yes… but she’s consistent and turned me down again.” she said nervously. “She told me that she wanted her first date to be real and I realized that she was right.” I furrowed my brows and glanced at my parents, they were really listening to her. “Your daughter caught my attention on the first day she came to school. At first, I thought it was just some attraction, but I realized that I was only making myself believe what I wanted to because I was scared of the truth.” she continues. “Your daughter makes me smile, she brings me food when I forget to eat, and she makes me feel calm and comforted. She’s someone who has become a safe place for me, someone who understands me instead of judging me… I know I’m not close to the definition of perfect, but…” she says and gulps before continuing. “I… like her very much.” she finally says.

I stop breathing at that moment. No joke, you can clearly hear me take a deep breath after a while.  _ Did she just say that she likes me??? Like— did she really say it and mean it??? _

“I like you, Lisa,” she repeats, turning to me. “And I’ve been showing it the wrong way because I didn’t understand it or… I didn’t want to accept it because I was scared, but I know now and… I don’t want to be scared anymore.” she continues. “So, Mr. and Mrs. Manoban,” she turns to my parents. “If your daughter will say yes… will you let her go out on a date with me?” she asked them, sincerity in her eyes.

I looked at them, waiting for an answer. They looked at me and smiled then turned to Jennie.

“You seem like a sweet girl Jennie, and we appreciate you coming over to ask for permission, but the decision is still up to Lisa. If she says yes, we’re happy that it’s you. Thank you for showing us respect.” my mom said to her with a sweet smile.

_ Okay, this is not actually happening. Jennie is not really into me and I’m not actually nervous right now. This is all a figment of my imagination. _

“I, uh… got this for you too.” she says and hands me the flowers. I move forward and take it from her.

“Lilies?” I question the choice.

“Yeah, I was supposed to get you Roses, but they were out and it’s too cliché. I saw the Lilies and it reminded me of you… Lili.” she explains.

Okay, I have to admit that made me smile. It was sweet and thoughtful. Now all I have to do is make a choice.  _ A yes… or a no. _

“You know Lilies are what you give to friends, right?” I said playfully.

“Oh, I’m not an expert in botany, but I can take it back and get you something else?” she suggested, reaching out for the flowers. I chuckled at her response.

“I’m kidding.” I tell her, smiling.

“Well? Will you go out with me?” she asks again. Her tone doesn’t have the same confidence that she usually has, but it doesn’t take away the fact that she really put in some effort into this and she really sounds sincere.

I stay quiet for a little longer just to tease her.

“Yes Jennie, I’ll go on a date with you.” I finally told her. She smiles widely and it reflects on my face as well. There’s a light feeling inside me, like I just won the lottery or something, and there’s no denying that the brunette is behind it.

“Really?” she exclaims happily. “Oh my God I could just kiss you right now!” she adds, too excited.

“Uh, none of that just yet.” my dad butts in.  _ Way to ruin the moment dad. _

“Oh, yes sir. Sorry.” Jennie says, calming down. I chuckle quietly and my mom notices, she’s trying her best to hold back a teasing smile.

“You should go, I think based on your best friend’s dancing in the car she’ll want to know everything.” I tell her, pointing out a partying Jisoo in the back.

She glances at her friend and chuckles. 

“Yeah, I should do that,” she says. “I’ll see you at school?”

I nod and she turns, bowing to my parents before leaving.

_ Jennie Kim… you surprise me every time. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are we finally getting Jenlisa and Chaesoo? What do you guys think? I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! I thought a little fluff should make up for the past chapters we've had. Thanks for reaching the end of this chapter! I'm sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors! See you next chapter!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry for the late update! I got sick so I haven't been able to write as much. I hope this chapter makes up for it! I'll try to post the next one asap! Enjoy!!!

**JENNIE POV**

It’s a Saturday and I’m at Bobby’s, sitting on their couch, staring at the wall. Honestly, I have no idea what I’m going to do. Lisa said yes to going on a date with me, but my head can’t seem to wrap itself around the fact.

“What’re you thinking about?” Bobby asked, plopping down beside me.

“I don’t know… my thoughts are going by so fast I can’t focus on one thing.” I answered.

“Let me guess, Lisa finally gave in to you?” she teased and chuckled. I didn’t answer, or at least I didn’t know how.  _ Give in? Did she feel like I forced her? Did I annoy her too much? Oh God, what if she hates me?  _ “Oh damn, she did,” she said after a while. “Congrats Ruby Jane! What’s your plan then?” she asked enthusiastically.

“A date.” I simply answered.

“I get that, but what are you going to do?” she asked, looking for more details.

“Uh… something nice?” I answered unsurely.

I haven’t really thought about what we’re going to do on the date. I had a simple dinner in mind, but I’m not sure what Lisa likes and it might be too cliche. I thought of bringing her to the beachside fair, but we’ve already gone there. I even thought of roller skating, but I can’t skate to save my life and I’m not embarrassing myself in front of Lisa. A movie would be boring and an ice cream date would be cheap. I wanted to bring her on a date to get to know her, but how am I supposed to prepare for the date if I don’t know anything about her???

“Do you seriously not have a plan Kim?” Bobby asked after I was quiet for a minute. “The girl you’ve been chasing for weeks finally agrees to go on a date with you and you have nothing in your arsenal… good luck.” they teased.

They turned on the tv and started watching, leaving me still clueless on what to do. I take my phone out and decide to ask the one person who I think might have some answers.

**ME** _ 11:04 a.m _

_ Chaeng need help asap. _

**BREADCHEEKS** _ 11:05 a.m _

_ Yeah, what’s up? _

**ME** _ 11:05 a.m _

_ What does Lisa like? _

**BREADCHEEKS** _ 11:05 a.m _

_??? could u be more specific? _

**ME** _ 11:06 a.m _

_ I’m taking her out on a date _

_ I don’t know what she likes _

**BREADCHEEKS** _ 11:06 a.m _

_ Aww! That’s so sweet!!! _

I rolled my eyes at her comment. Seriously, I take Lisa on a date and people think it’s a big deal.

**BREADCHEEKS** _ 11:06 a.m _

_ Her fave color is yellow and she loves sushi. If it’s a date you're planning on, try something like… a park date or somewhere she can take pictures. _

**ME** _ 11:07 a.m _

_ Why pictures? _

**BREADCHEEKS** _ 11:07 a.m _

_ She likes taking pictures. Trust me, a park date is your best option. _

**ME** _ 11:07 a.m _

_ But those are too cheesy _

**BREADCHEEKS** _ 11:07 a.m _

_ Oh… well, it’s up to you I guess… _

_ Maybe a nice dinner or something would work? _

_ I gtg _

_ I’m rehearsing at school today. _

_ Good luck on your date! _

And with that, she was gone.  _ A park date? I don’t do cheesy dates. _

**CHAEYOUNG POV**

I was probably more excited than Jennie to hear the news that she was going to take Lisa out on a date. It was about time that those two started to get along. I was in school to polish up on the routine Lisa and I worked on. She said she couldn’t come, probably because of the date. I didn’t mind really, we’ve already fixed the kinks, all we need is to really polish it one last time before the performance tomorrow.

I was on my way to the school’s dance studio when I noticed Jisoo standing by one of the doors in the hallway and talking to someone. I peeked and it was Seulgi. Of course, every little insecure thought came to mind. Were they dating? Has she moved on? Are we really done? Am I too late? All of that came to pass once I reminded myself that Jisoo isn’t into Seulgi like that. Ate least, that’s what she always told me. The two noticed me and immediately Jisoo was walking away in another direction.

Seulgi was bolder, she walked towards me and greeted me with a fake smile.

“Hey Chae, what’s up?” she asked.

“Hi. I’m just here to rehearse.” I answered, pointing to the dance studio.

“Oh, so you’re not here to see Jisoo?” she asked. “She also came here to practice for her stage tomorrow. I’ve heard her sing and she’s pretty awesome.” she says dreamily.

_ Sing? Since when does Jisoo sing? How come Seulgi heard her but not me? _

“I didn’t know she had a performance tomorrow.” I said softly.

“Really? Well, I did. I’ve been visiting her during practice.” she said boastfully.

“Oh… I didn’t know that.” I say, not wanting to let her win by showing how badly it hurt.

I could see the smug look on her face forming. I’d give anything to wipe it off her face right now.

“Oh yeah, we’ve been hanging out more often now. I’m starting to think she’s into me.” she adds proudly.

I can’t help but let out a chuckle at what she said. Sure, I get jealous whenever Jisoo gives anyone attention, but I’m not jealous of Seulgi. Jisoo doesn’t like her like that. She’s too forward and Jisoo hates it when people throw themselves at her. It’s the thing about us. We weren’t planned, we just happened…

“Jealous much Park?” she asks after hearing my chuckle.

“No. I just find it amusing that you think she likes you like that.” I tell her with a small smile.

“She does and there’s nothing you can do about it.” she rebuts.

“Whatever you say… but trust me, she’s just being nice. Jisoo doesn’t like girls like you… Jennie is a unique exception.” I replied, flashing her a thin smile before turning to go inside the studio.

“Don’t think that I don’t know about you,” Seulgi says, stopping me by grabbing my arm. “Crossing me right now is not your best choice. I can out you to everyone and who knows how they’ll react?” she threatened with an evil smirk.

_ How does everyone keep finding out about me? _

“Was that supposed to scare me?” I challenged and pulled my arm off her grasp. “Listen Seulgi, you’ve been a pain in my ass for almost two years now and I really want to get rid of you as soon as I can, so I’ll make this quick. You can turn the tables however you want to, but in the end, I still win… because people actually want me, I don’t have to use my body for them to notice me for a few minutes.” I told her and walked into the studio. I saw her expression which gave such a good amount of satisfaction.

It was a little mean for me to say that, but damn did that feel good. I’m not one to talk back to anyone who tries to get to me, but Seulgi has been a different kind of annoying for a while now. She’s constantly flirting with Jisoo and making moves on her, I think reminding her of her place was best.

**JISOO POV**

I’m not the jealous type. I’ve always been secure with regard to my relationship with Chaeng, but these past few days have been a little different. Seeing her spending so much time with Lisa and being all clingy and sweet with each other has really hit something. I know Jennie already has eyes for Lisa, but I’m not entirely sure if Lisa feels the same for Jennie since she’s never been vocal about it.

So, here I am, in school, on a Saturday because I have reached the peak of my jealousy. I wouldn’t say I followed Chaeng here, but I did come to keep an eye on her and Lisa… only to remember that Lisa and Jennie have their date today. I even joined the whole performance show just to get inside. 

“Thinking about our date?” a girl approached.  _ Seulgi. _

I didn’t answer her. I just rolled my eyes and turned away. I’ve been trying to avoid her the whole week, I saw no point in entertaining her.

“Aww… is someone angry at me?” she said in a teasing tone.

“Go away and leave me alone.” I tell her coldly.

“But we need to plan our date,” she says. “I’d hate for the word to get to Chaeyoung’s parents that their precious and perfect daughter is actually gay and has been sleeping with the school’s flirt.” she added, making me turn to her.

“You’re sick, you know that?” I ask her, disgusted. “What makes you think that doing what you’re doing will make people like you?” I added.

“I don’t really care if people like me or not, I just want to get what I want and right now… that’s you.” she replied, booping my nose, making me flinch.

I am sure that this girl has lost it. There’s no way anyone in their right mind would act like this. Okay, maybe Jennie acts like this sometimes, but she’s different. She has respect for people and their  _ secrets _ . She has never once blackmailed anyone just to get them into bed.  _ Jennie. Maybe I should tell Jennie and she can help with this whole situation? _

“Get lost Seulgi, you’re never going to get me. I’m sorry.” I tell her.

We both turn our heads when we notice a blonde-haired girl peeking from the corner of the dance studio. 

“I guess Chaeyoung’s parents are in for a surprise then.” she says and smirks. I turn away from her and walk away.  _ I have to fix this, I have to make sure Chae stays safe. _

**ME** _ 11:46 a.m _

_ Jen, need major help. Might involve killing a bitch. _

_ U in? _

**RUBY🧸** _ 11:52 a.m _

_ Name and place. We’ll go after my date. _

**LISA POV**

Okay, not how I expected my first date to be. Who knew that my first date would be with the girl that I continuously reject? I’ve been waiting for Jennie to text me all morning. We both agreed that she’d be the one to plan the whole thing since she’s the one that asked me out, the only problem is, I have no idea what to wear.

I don’t know if it’s going to be a dinner or something casual or something that needs me to dress up in an outfit that’ll make heads turn. Who knows? She could just bring me to Bobby’s or to wherever she brings people to her usual dates.

“Sweetie, are you ready?” my mom asked peeking through the door of my room.

“No.” I answer, staring at my closet. It’s full, but I can’t seem to find the perfect fit for this date.

My mom walks in and sits on my bed, patting it asking me to sit beside her.

“Nervous?” she asks a little teasingly.

“What am I doing? I keep telling her off and then I’m going on a date with her. I should cancel.” I say, shaking my head. “She’s the school’s playgirl, I should know better than to give her the slightest bit of attention right?” I added, turning to my mom for some clarity.

She tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and smiled sweetly.

“She likes you very much honey.” she simply says. “I don’t think she’ll hurt you.” she adds.

“How do you know that? You’ve only met her twice.” I say, looking back at my closet.

“And each time, she always asks how you are before anything else,” she answers. “In those two times, she has always done right by you… give her a chance, she might surprise you.” she adds.

She gets up and walks out the room. I sigh and look into the closet, thinking of what I could possibly wear. I rummage for a while until I see a red dress hanging on the far side. It’s checkered with white and is short, but not too short. It’s simple and sweet and looks good for casual wear, but can also be for something nice and formal.

\--

About an hour and a half passed when the doorbell rang. I don’t know why, but I ran to answer the door, bringing my bag with me. Standing there was a small brunette wearing a simple white dress with small rose prints on it. She looked sweet and innocent, but her eyes looked like they were of predators.

She smiled sweetly at me and I reciprocated the smile.

“Hi,” she greets softly.

“Hey,” I reply shyly. I tuck my hair behind my ear and look away from her. I don’t know why but I’m blushing way too much with her just looking at me.

“Lisa, aren’t you going to let her in?” my dad asked from behind, startling me.

“Oh, that’s okay sir. I actually have something prepared, so we won’t stay for long… if that’s okay?” Jennie answers.  _ Prepared? What did she prepare?  _ “Is there anything I should know before I take Lili away for a few hours?” she asked. I smile widely at the nickname. Okay, admittingly this whole date thing is making me feel giddy, but it’s my first date, let me be.

“Have her home by 9 o'clock, no parties and definitely no alcohol. I want you to bring her home in one piece and Jennie… if you try anything, and I mean anything I just want to remind you that I’m good with knives.” my dad says jokingly, but looking at how Jennie nods quickly tells me she didn’t get the joke.

“Oh my God, dad it’s a date, chill,” I tell him. “It’s not like she’s going to kidnap me and whisk me away to New Zealand.” I tell him, stepping outside and standing beside Jennie.

My mom appears beside my dad and rests her head on him.

“Go on kids. Just stay out of trouble.” she says, gesturing for us to go already.

Jennie gives my parents a bow and I smile at them a little excitedly. The brunette and I walk to her car, she opens the door for me and she gets in and begins driving.

“What’s your plan?” I ask five minutes into the drive. She was more quiet than usual, so I thought I’d start the conversation.

“It’s a surprise.” she simply says.

“I’m scared of your surprises.” I reply.

“Well, this is nothing to be scared about.” she rebuts.

“That’s what they say before something scary happens.” I joke.

We both chuckle and then silence.

“Sorry,” Jennie speaks, making me turn to her. “I haven’t gone on an actual date since… I don’t know. This whole thing is a little new to me.” she says.

“Don’t be. I don’t expect things to be perfect. Besides, I kind of like you like this… you’re more… real.” I tell her genuinely. 

“So you do like me.” she says, smirking.

“I never said-”

“No, no, you just said that you liked me like this which is still saying that you like me.” she teases.

“As if I’m ever going to like you.” I roll my eyes playfully.

“Why else are you on this date with me then?” she asks playfully.

I don’t answer which only makes her smirk bigger. She focuses back on the road and we continue the drive for a while.

_ Okay, maybe I do like you a little. _

\--

Jennie holds the car door open for me as I step out. We’ve been on the road for almost an hour and we came to a stop at this open field. I’m looking around and I can’t really see anything but tall grass and some flowers.

“Where are we?” I ask the brunette.

“On our date.” she answers, closing the car door.

“I got that, but where exactly?” I reply.

“You’ll see,” she says suspiciously. “Shall we?” she asks and offers her arm out to me. I hesitantly lock mine with hers and we begin to walk further into the field.

It’s a little scary at first, but once you pass the tall grass, there’s a beautiful field of flowers stretching for miles. I stopped in shock at the sight and I could see the brunette smiling as she watched me. 

“I’m guessing by your silence, you like it.” Jennie says lightly and walks towards a set up in the field. I follow her and see a blanket laid down and a basket on it.

“A picnic?” I say surprised. “Don’t you think that’s cheesy?” I tease.

“Believe me, every part of me was begging not to go through with it,” she says jokingly. “But it’s your first date, and I thought maybe you’d want to have the whole cheesy experience.” she adds.

_ Butterflies, rainbows, ponies, fluffy clouds!  _ You figure out what that means because that’s what I’m feeling right now. I’m trying my best not to squeal or make any sounds that might indicate that I’m actually really really enjoying this, but the fast beating of my heart in my chest is only provoking me to do just that.

“Do you want to sit down or do you prefer standing for the rest of the date?” Jennie asks, raising an eyebrow at me. I notice that she’s already in her place, taking out pastries from the basket. I take my seat across from her and watch her.

“I never knew you had a sweet side to you.” I remark, making her look up at me.

“It’s not something that I show off. I think the only person who’s seen this side of me is Jisoo,” she answers. “I stopped making an effort after my parents separated, didn’t see the point in relationships if they’re just going to break.” she added. “Sorry for making the mood sour.”

“No, it’s fine. I like that you’re telling me this. Thank you… for trusting me.” I tell her. “What changed your mind? Why are you suddenly making an effort?” I asked curiously.

“Hmm…” she hummed. “I guess it’s been so long since I last felt like I could be special to someone… so when you came, my walls just crumbled and I let you in,” she answered. “Don’t be mistaken, I know Chu and Chae love me and stuff but having someone like you care about me… it’s just different.” she adds.

“How come?” I ask. “What’s the difference?” 

“Chu is my friend and I don’t think labeling you as one of my friends is the right choice.” she answers.

“Am I not your friend?” I ask playfully.

“You and I both know the answer to that Lili.” she replies, grinning a little.

**JISOO POV**

A few hours have passed since Chae came to school. I had the option to leave, but I figured with Seulgi running around, I should be here to keep an eye on her. I also contemplated on whether I should tell her about Seulgi’s plans to out her rather than keep it to myself.

I quietly enter the dance studio and watch my girl practice from a corner. My reflection doesn’t show in the mirror so I’m well hidden.

**DAD** _ 2:03 p.m _

_ Coming home, see you soon. _

_ Mom says hi. _

I read the message and suddenly I’m filled with more pain. My parents are coming back from their trip… perfect.

“Chu? What’re you doing?” Chase asks, surprising me, making me drop my phone.

“Jesus Christ! What the fuck Chae?” I exclaim.

“What are you doing here?” she asks as I pick up my phone. “Are you following me? Tell me you didn’t take advice from Jennie and turned into a stalker.” she adds.

“What? No! I’m here on my own terms. I’m practicing. For my stage. For the talent show. Tomorrow.” I answered her. 

She gave me a nod, unconvinced.

“Right. I was actually hoping I could talk to you… about us.” she says.

“Chae, I thought we were clear about it?” I told her.

“I know, I know, but I’m telling you. Jackson and I are done. There wasn’t anything between us in the first place, not even when I tried because I love you and there’s no one else that can fill your spot in my heart.” she says. “I also wanted to tell you that… I’m ready to fight. For you and for me… for us.” she adds and takes my hands.

It felt good to hear her say that, but I still can’t let myself believe her.

“I’m happy to hear that Chae… I really am, but actions speak louder than words,” I say and pull my hands away. “Promises without actions are just empty words…” I add.

_ I want to believe you. I want to believe that you’re ready, but I can’t let my guard down that easily no matter how much I love you. _

“I came by to check on you.” I admit. “Seulgi has been asking me to go on a date with her for the past few days… she knows about you and I and she’s using it to blackmail me. Don’t worry about it though, Jennie and I will take care of it.” I add before turning to leave.

I honestly want to hear her out, but I know that if I stay any longer she’ll say something that’ll make me want to just fall in her arms without thinking of myself.

**JENNIE POV**

“Okay, so what made you think that adding three layers of clothing would make you look cool?” I asked, chuckling, teasing Lisa. She showed me a picture of her in one of her auditions when she was younger. She was wearing leggings, shorts, a shirt, a jacket, another sleeveless jacket on top of it.

“I was a kid okay? Don’t be a jerk!” she whines playfully, hitting me lightly.

“I have to admit, you do look cute.” I teased more.

We both chuckle and take bites off the pastries I brought.

“I’m still a little curious though… how is it possible that you’ve never been in a relationship?” I asked. We’ve been talking for a while now, going through the food I brought. I learned some new things about Lisa. For instance she’s an only child, she was supposed to go to Australia for this semester, she has two cats back in Thailand, she loves french fries, she knows how to box, her favorite book is The Little Prince, and her favorite cake is Red Velvet.

I don’t know how all that fit in my head, but I seem to be able to remember every single detail about Lili.

“My parents are always sacrificing for me, for my future. I’ve never had a relationship because I’ve focused all my time and energy on school. I’ve always had a scholarship which means I can’t have any grade lower than an A.” she answers. “How about you? How many relationships have you been in?” she asked.

“That depends on the kind of relationship you’re talking about. If you count the flings, then a lot.” I jokingly say. “But if we’re counting the serious ones… one.” I answer. “His name was Kai. I was around… 16? We lasted for about half a year. He was the only person that really made me fall.” I explained. “I guess you could say he was my first love?” I chuckle out.

“What happened? If you don’t mind me asking?” Lili asked.

“The usual… we grew apart, became cold… I guess you run out of love even in relationships.” I answer.

“That’s not entirely true…” she says, making me look at her. “You only lose love when you allow it to go. Same thing with people. They only leave when allowed to.” she adds.

“And what of my parents?” I question her.

“Hmm…” she thinks. “Maybe it really just wasn’t meant to be…” she answers. “I read somewhere once that the reason people leave is because there’s going to be someone who’ll come into our lives. Someone better, someone who won’t hurt us or leave us.” 

“Are you my special someone then Lili?” I ask teasingly, making the mood lighter.

“You wish I was.” she replied jokingly.

“Oh, I very much do.” I say and slowly leaned closer to her.

“What are you doing?” she asks, slowly leaning back.

“I’m just going to make you say you’re my special person.” I say wickedly and put my hands up. 

“Jennie, I swear if you try to tickle me you’re dead.” she threatens. “Jen- Jennie!” she yells when I start tickling her. She’s laughing so much which makes me laugh too. The sound of her laughing alone can make you smile, but adding the fact that she’s looking at me and giving me those genuine smiles after I’ve stopped tickling her is really something else.

The air is calm and silent, our laughter has died down and now we’re just staring into each other’s orbs. Lili’s smiling softly at me and I have every urge to kiss her. Somehow, Lisa has managed to make me feel so soft inside. She’s got that something that makes you just want to be the best version of yourself. 

It’s too soon to say anything, but I know that I really really really like her.

I don’t think either of us noticed that we’re literally an inch away from kissing each other. I would’ve gone through with it if only my head and heart were working together.

“You’re very ticklish.” I remark, getting off on top of Lisa before we took this any further. We both sat up properly and I could see a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

“Uh… yeah. Very.” she chuckles out.

“Well, now I know how to make you laugh.” I jokingly say.

“You’re going to have to find another way because if you tickle me again I’m punching you.” she replies playfully.

We chuckle softly again and the air around us becomes a little awkward. I’m staring down at my plate when I hear a clicking sound. I look up at Lisa and see her smiling, looking at a camera.

“What was that?” I asked curiously.

“I took a photo of you.” she said, showing me the picture.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I like to take pictures,” she answers. “And every photo needs a subject right?” she adds. “Don’t you want to be my subject?” she asked, smirking a little.

I froze. I don’t know how to answer her.  _ Yes? I want to be the subject of your photos?  _ I blush at the question and her smirk fades. She waves her hand in front of me.

“Jennie? Are you okay?” she asks. “Did I break you or something?” she added.

“Uh… no. I just- I don’t- nevermind.” I snap out of my frozen state. “I didn’t know you were a photographer.” I say, steering away from my post frozen moment. 

“I took one picture of you and already I’m a photographer?” she asks playfully.

“Oh, right. I just assumed because-”

“I’m kidding. You should really loosen up, stop being so tense.” she chuckles. “I am a photographer. I’ve been taking classes since 8th grade. I have a small camera collection, but nothing’s really for a profession.” she explains.

“Oh? Then what is your choice for a profession then?” I asked, taking the camera from her.

“I’m not sure… but my mom told me that I would do amazing as a businesswoman.” she answers.

“And is that what you want?” I asked, placing the camera on top of the basket.

“I don’t know… I think dancing would be my first choice, but there isn’t much money in that and I really just want to help out my parents.” she answers.

“Hmm…” I hummed. I pull her beside me and fix her hands to make a heart shape. “An art teacher of mine told me once that when you’re passionate about something, don’t think of the money. Do good in what you’re doing and the rest will come easily.” I tell her. “You my Lili will be amazing as a dancer, there’s no doubt in that. All you gotta do is believe that you can.” I say.

I point to the camera and we both look at it.

“Now be all cute and smile with me in this picture because this is the only cute picture you’re going to get of me… I’ll probably burn it and your camera too.” I tell her playfully, making her laugh. The timer runs out and the picture is taken. We’re both making hearts with our hands and we’re smiling at the photo.

“Just wait till I show this to Chae.” she jokingly says while holding the camera.

“What? No! That picture cannot see the light of day!” I exclaim. Lisa gets up and starts running off with the gadget, I chase after her. This is way too cheesy, but I am having way too much fun to end it. “Lisa! Give it here!” I yell, chasing after her.

We continue acting like kids, running around for a few minutes when I suddenly start to run out of breath. I hate it when this happens because I can’t enjoy whatever it is that I’m doing. It started when I was 6. My mom says that it’s because I have a weak body that I get tired easily so we didn’t think anything big of it. 

I fall on my knee and try to catch my breath. Lisa appeared later, rubbing my back.

“You should go see a doctor you know? This keeps happening and I don’t think it’s something to be ignored.” she says.

“It’s fine… I’m just tired… it’s normal.” I tell her, panting a little.

“It’s really not.” she says.

We both look up at the sound of thunder. The skies turned a little dark and a cold breeze came in.

“We should go.” I say and get up. “It looks like it might rain, I don’t want either of us getting sick.” I added.

Lisa agrees and we pack up our small picnic.

\--

**LISA POV**

“We’re on our way back, don’t worry, Jennie’s driving safely.” I tell my dad over the phone. “We might take a little longer since the road is slippery, but we’ll make it home.” I assure him.

“Alright, text us if anything happens okay?” he says.

“Yup, love you daddy.” I say and hang up.

“If I knew it was going to rain I would’ve scheduled the date to a much later time. Sorry.” Jennie says, keeping her eyes on the road.

It started as light rain, but then it suddenly poured on our way back home. Jennie’s been driving at a slow pace, making sure we don’t slip and go off-road. 

“It’s fine, I don’t think anyone knew.” I told her.

She nods and keeps driving. About 5 minutes later we stopped. The road ahead of us is flooded and there’s no way the car will be able to get through it.

“Fuck.” Jennie mumbles, but I hear it. “It’s a dead end. We can’t cross it. The car will die down if we push through.” she says. She nervously taps the wheel and I could tell she was feeling a little anxious.

“Hey, it’s okay. We’ll just wait for the water to go down.” I tell her, stopping her from tapping.

“But your curfew is at 9, the water could go down at 3 in the morning.” she reasons.

“Don’t think about my curfew. Would you rather have me home soaked in the rain after pushing the car because it died down or dry and safe because we waited it out?” I rebut. “I’ll text my dad and tell him about our situation, he’ll understand don’t worry.” I add.

She nods and relaxes. I text my parents and sit quietly with Jennie, waiting for the rain to stop.

**DADDY** _ 6:44 p.m _

_ Okay, update us if the situation gets better. Don’t go out in the rain okay? _

_ Stay safe, tell Jennie it’s okay to come home late. No harm done. _

_ Love you sweetie. _

I close my phone to save the battery, I’m at 45% and Jennie could be right, the rain could stop at 3 in the morning. We’re watching the rainfall on the car, the sound of the drops is all you can hear… that and my teeth chattering.

“Are you cold?” Jennie asks worriedly, turning to me.

“I’m fine, really.” I tell her and flash her a small smile.

She lowers the ac and looks to the backseat.

“Okay, uh… why don’t you move back there,” she suggests. “I have a jacket that you can use, plus it’s warmer in the back.” she adds.

I hesitantly agree and move out of my seat. She helps me move to the backseat and she steps out of the car.

“Jennie! Where are you going?” I asked.

“Just wait here.” she says loudly and goes off.

I don’t know what she was thinking, but she had me worried for a whole minute. She came back, sitting in the backseat with me, wet from the rain. She takes out the picnic blanket from under her dress and gives it to me.

“Here, it’s not that thick, but it should help keep you warm.” she says and wraps it around me.

“Yeah, but now you need it more.” I say frustrated at her. “How can you be so dumb and go out into the rain like that?” I scold her, taking the blanket off me and wrapping it around her.

“Just trying to keep you warm.” she smiles playfully at me.

“Now is not the time for jokes Jennie. You could get sick.” I tell her sternly.

\--

We’re sitting on either end of the backseat and I’m starting to fall asleep. It got warmer after a while, but it was still chilly. The rain had lessened, but the water was still high. I could hear Jennie shivering on her side, making me worried that she’d die of hypothermia.

“Jennie, do you want… do you want me to move closer?” I ask, not really wanting to ask her straightforwardly if she wanted to cuddle because she might take it the wrong way.

“I always want you close Lili.” she flirts.

I roll my eyes and move to her. How is she still like this even when she’s freezing?

“F.Y.I, I’m only doing this because we’re both cold,” I tell her. I took a deep breath before wrapping an arm around her. Her skin was already freezing that it felt like ice to touch. “Jesus, Jennie, you’re freezing.” I remark and I could feel her scooting closer into me. 

I rub her arms and try to wrap her in as much heat as I could. Her shivering would stop after a few minutes and I could feel her getting warmer. We’re basically cuddling, but survival 101 says that human contact could keep you warm.

“So much for a perfect first date huh?” the brunette says softly after a while.

She pulls on my jacket, bringing me closer to her. I tightened my arms around her and after a while, I could feel her body relaxing and soon she was passed out. I tried to stay awake to keep an eye on the rain, but it was comfortable in our position so I fell asleep too. 

_ Yeah… a perfect date. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I do the Jenlisa date justice? What should their next date be? What about Chaesoo? What do you think Chae's going to do to prove to Jisoo that she's fighting? I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Sorry for any grammatical and spelling errors! See you in the next chapter!!!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is probably my favorite chapter. I enjoyed it too much so I'm sorry if it gets too fluffy! I hope you guys enjoy!

**LISA POV**

It’s about 11 p.m when I stirred awake. The rain had stopped and Jennie was sleeping soundly with her head resting on my chest. I watched her sleep, but not in a creepy way. She was so at peace and seemed so gentle and breakable in comparison to when she was awake. This date was something that I never expected to happen, but I’m glad it did.

Jennie was so different from the person I’ve known these past few weeks. She’s more thoughtful and sweet, more caring and protective, someone who anyone could fall for. A strand of hair fell on her face and I tucked it behind her ear. She slowly opened her eyes at the feeling.

“Hey,” I say softly. “The rain stopped.” I added. She looked around and sat up. Her moving slightly away from me was a little disappointing. Earlier in our date, we had a moment where I thought she was going to kiss me, but she pulled away.

“The water’s lower. We can cross.” she says and points to the once flooded road. She steps out the backseat and I follow, we both move to the front of the car. “Sorry I fell asleep, the rain probably stopped earlier and could’ve gotten you home sooner.” she apologized. It’s her habit really, she apologizes for the smallest things and it’s not really her fault.

“Stop apologizing. We both fell asleep and I’m glad we did. At least we got some rest.” I told her. She starts the car and we begin to drive. She’s more quiet and focused on the road, she must still be tired. I can tell by her droopy eyes and constant yawning.

For about 20 minutes we drive back to town. It takes her a good minute to recognize the landmarks and get us to my place. The porch lights are open, so my parents are probably still awake waiting for me. 

“I should go inside and explain what happened to your parents. I don’t want them to think that I just dropped you off.” Jennie suggested as we pulled over the front. She got out of the car before I could say anything and opened the door for me. I took the hand she offered out and I could feel how cold she was still.

“Change into something warm when you get home okay?” I told her quietly as we walked to the front door. She nods with a tired smile. She knocks on the door and we wait for my parents to answer.

“Get enough rest, you’re performing tomorrow. I wouldn’t want Chae to kill me if you start dancing with tired feet.” she playfully says, making me laugh a little.

“Promise,” I answer. “Thanks for today by the way. I had fun despite the way it ended.” I say, hoping it’ll lift her spirits. She just nods again with that smile. I lean in and give her a kiss on the cheek, now I’m sure that’ll get more of a reaction from her right?

Again, seeing her react to the smallest things I do is very entertaining. Her eyes were wide open and her cheeks were flushed red. That should make her feel warmer. It was an honest thank you kiss on the cheek. Nothing more. That would’ve been the case if my parents didn’t open the door as I was pulling away.

Yes, it looked like I just kissed Jennie and now my parents are going to think that I did.

“Lisa… you- you’re back.” my mom greeted, clearing her throat.

“Oh my God, this is not what it looks like.” I say, raising my hands up in defense.

“Jennie?” my dad turned to the brunette with crossed arms.

“Sir, I didn’t- I mean she- We didn’t- I was-” she stuttered. “Good night!” she panicked and ran back to her car. She peeked through the window and waved before driving away. 

“Thanks for scaring her away dad.” I said, rolling my eyes as I walked in.

“She kissed you?” he asked, closing the door.

“No. I kissed her… on the cheek.” I answered. “She didn’t even make an attempt at it, trust me,” I added. “I wish she did…” I murmured.

“What was that?” my dad asked with furrowed brows.

“I said I’m tired,” I replied in a sweet tone. “I’ll head upstairs. We can talk tomorrow. I love you both!” I told them as I made my way up the stairs.

I changed into some warm clothes after taking a short warm shower. I buried myself underneath the thick blankets and let myself get comfortable.

**MANDU** _ 11:57 p.m _

_ Thanks for today! Hope you had as much fun as me. Don’t worry about my dad, he’s just trying to scare you. Take care getting home and don’t stay up too late. Goodnight Nini. _

\--

**JISOO POV**

“That bitch!” Jennie said, gasping after telling her everything about Seulgi. “How dare she try and be like me. I’m the it bitch in this school, I feel threatened.” she added a little playfully.

“Quit playing, Chae’s rep is in line. She shouldn’t have to go through being outed like that.” I told her. Today was the talent showcase and Chae’s parents are going to be here watching her. I don’t know what Seulgi has in mind, but I know that it’s far from good.

“Well, what do you want to do? Are you going to go on a date with her? Are you going to let her do what she wants? I mean, we can always deny it, it’s her word against ours and my word is basically what everyone believes. I can legit say that there’s a flying pony and everyone would believe it.” Jennie said. 

“I don’t know, but burying her 6 feet underground is my best option.” I tell her.

“Right, so I’ll get the shovel and start digging. You do the dirty work, I’m not into blood.” Jennie replied casually. I hit her arm because, the hell?

“You’re supposed to stop me.” I tell her unamused.

“Well then don’t say things you’re not willing to do because I’m down for anything.” she replies.

We walked into the empty auditorium which was decorated like broadway. The school really goes all out with their extra-curricular activities.

“Jennie? I didn’t know you were performing today.” Jennie’s mom said, running into us.

“Mom. No, I’m just here to spectate. Lisa’s performing and so is Chu and Chae so I thought I’d show them some support.” she answered. She was less snarky than she usually is with her mom today.

“Jennie!” a small voice called from the rows of seats and a little girl was rushing towards us.

“Little Ella! Oh my God!” Jennie exclaims and greets her little sister with open arms and a wide smile. The whole scene was enough to make someone tear up, seeing Jennie with Ella is always heartwarming. 

“I missed you! Where did you go?” Ella asked excitedly. Jennie hasn’t gone home since what happened with BamBam and I don’t think she’s seen Ella since then. “Mom said that you were finding your own castle, is that true?” she asked enthusiastically.

Jennie looked up at her mom and flashed her a thin smile.

“Uh, yeah! I’ve actually been looking for a castle for you too! Sorry I couldn’t come home princess.” she said and got up.

“That’s okay!” Ella answered.

“I couldn’t leave her alone at home, your broth- BamBam is still recovering from… certain events and Derek’s on a trip to Virginia to meet with his old school friends.” Jen’s mom said.

“Do you want me to take her off you for a day or two?” Jennie offered which surprised me. “I did miss her and I’m used to babysitting her.” she added. Jennie’s mom had a skeptical look on her face. “I have my own room and I can pay for food and other stuff so you won’t have to worry about it.” she pitched.

Ella looked at her mom expectant, she also glanced at me and I gave her a playful wink like I always do. She giggled and it made my day. I’ve always wanted a little sister, but with my parents’ schedule, I’m glad that they only had me. Wouldn’t want any kid going through what I am.

“Alright… we’ll talk about it later on. Why don’t you two head on backstage and start preparing.” her mom said which made Jen and Ella squeal a little.

We head backstage and we see Chae with her mom, they’re fixing her make up and I can’t help but smile at how beautiful she looks. Her mom noticed and blocked her from my view. That reminded me of the reality that we can’t have these small moments.

“Don’t worry, she’ll come around.” Jennie says and puts her back down.

“Yeah… that’s what everyone says.” I reply quietly.

“Jennie!” a familiar voice called. Jen and I both turned and saw Lisa making her way to us. She was wearing a dress with a matching barrett.

“Wow, someone looks cute today.” Jennie blurts out.

“Whipped.” I cough out, teasing them both, knowing what happened on their date.

“Oh please, it’s not like she lied Jisoo.” Lisa confidently said, making Jennie and I chuckle.

“Who are you and what have you done to my Lili?” Jennie asked playfully.

“I need to boost myself up for the show today. You get this Lisa for one day, so savor it.” she playfully answers.

“Uh, Chae’s getting ready with her mom,” I say pointing over to where Chae was. “You might want to catch up with her since you two never got that last practice yesterday.” I added. “She looks beautiful too, so don’t forget to compliment her.” I tell the blonde.

“Gotcha.” Lisa said pointing finger guns at me and winking. She skipped over to Chae and they began talking.

“So, are you two officially dating now?” I ask Jennie who was still smiling watching Lisa laugh with Chae.

“I wouldn’t say that. We went out on one date and I don’t think either of us wants to rush things. She’s fun though, like not fun how I would usually describe it, but fun like, she makes me laugh at certain things, she knows when to play along my craziness, and she’s a really interesting person.” Jennie answered, turning to me.

“That’s nice… I’m really happy for you Jen. Way to open up to someone!” I encouraged her, making us both laugh.

**CHAEYOUNG POV**

“You didn’t have to do that you know? She was just smiling from afar, it’s not like she was coming over to talk with me.” I told my mom, a little annoyed by how over dramatic she’s being with the fact that Jisoo was looking at me.

“Oh please, she could’ve been undressing you with her eyes.” she remarked.

“Mom, that’s really rude and wrong. She was just looking and being friendly, I don’t see anything at fault with that.” I retorted.

“Shush, chin up.” she said and applied my lip balm.

“Hello Mrs. Park, it’s nice to see you again.” Lisa greeted as she came by.

“Hi Lisa, it’s nice to see you too. Are you ready for your performance today? Where’s your parents?” she replied cheerfully. My mom may be a lawyer, but one thing’s for sure, she has absolutely no idea who’s straight and who’s not.

“Yup, ready as I’ll ever be. My folks aren’t coming until later. I didn’t want them to sit and wait here so they’ll arrive before the show starts.” Lisa answered happily. “Oh, Chaeng,” she said and leaned into my ear. “Jisoo said you look beautiful.” she whispered, making my lips tug upward.

I gave her a knowing smile and nodded.

“Okay guys, the show starts in 20!” the stage manager announced and everyone began moving in double time.

\--

The seats were filled and everyone was cheering. GOT7, which is BamBam’s group was performing and you can only imagine the cheering of the crowd every time they did a move. They’re good and Jackson was really good at filling the spots that had BamBam in them. He still hasn’t come back to school after the incident and everyone’s just wondering when he’ll show up.

Jackson’s been doing pretty well keeping his friends in check. Last I heard them make trouble was weeks ago. Maybe Jackson’s rubbing off some good influence on them.

Their performance ended and now it was Lisa and I’s turn.

“Good luck Chaeyoung!” Jackson said as we ran into each other backstage.

“Thanks!” I smiled at him and took my place by the keyboard. The lights were turned off, and the crowd started to cheer.

I looked out into the crowd and spotted Jennie sitting with Lisa’s parents. Talk about being part of the family. I scanned for the one person I wanted to see, but she was nowhere to be seen. I felt a huge disappointment because this number was really meant for her. 

_ L is for the way you look at me, _

_ O is for the only one I see. _

_ V is very very, extraordinary, _

_ E is even more than anyone that you adore can… _

The crowd bursts into cheers as soon as I sing and the music starts to get more upbeat.

_ Love, is all that I can give, _

_ To you. _

_ Love, is more than just a game, _

_ For two. _

_ Two, in love can make it, _

_ Take my heart and please don’t break it. _

_ Love was made for me and you! _

My eyes kept searching for Chu in the crowd, but I still couldn’t see her. Lisa was having fun pointing at people every time she said love or me and you. I could especially see her winking at Jennie with one of the verses, making the brunette chuckle in the crowd.

We were dancing to the song when my eyes wandered to the side… and there she was. She was smiling widely, watching me. She seemed to be having fun too. It came to the part where we had to blow the audience a kiss. I think you know whom Lisa blew hers to.

I on the other hand was about to blow it to the crowd, but I turned and blew it to the one person who I would give all my kisses to. Chu raised her brows amused and couldn’t hold back her laugh when I blew her the kiss.

_ Love, is all that I can give, _

_ To you. _

_ Love, is more than just a game, _

_ For two. _

_ Two, in love can make it, _

_ Take my heart and please don’t break it. _

_ Love was made for me and you! _

Lisa and I sang, this time I looked to Chu when I sang the last verse. Lisa and I wrapped up the stage and made a heart together in the end. We got a standing ovation as the curtains closed and we both cheered excitedly in the back.

“Oh, my God! Oh, my God! I did not expect that reaction!” Lisa squealed, jumping from all the excitement.

“You were so great! My heart’s still beating so fast.” I tell her with the same amount of excitement.

Everyone backstage gave us a clap of hands and we all bowed in appreciation. Jennie showed up not a minute late.

“Ahh!!! I am so proud of you guys!” she shrieked in joy and came running towards us. “Chae, I knew you could sing, but dang! Who knew you could make everyone fall in-love with that voice! And Lili,” she said, her expression getting all soft when she turned to Lisa. “That was the sweetest thing ever! I didn’t know you could sing! You have to sing me a song one day okay? No excuses.” she says.

“Maybe, only if I get something in return.” Lisa replied playfully.

“Oh yeah? Name it!” Jennie challenged.

“I get to post that picture of us at the picnic.” Lisa teased.

Jennie made a funny grumpy face.

“Fine. But I better get a special stage from you.” she answered. We all chuckled and everyone was smiling happily.

“That was quite the show chipmunk.” Jisoo said calmly from behind, making me turn.

“You liked it?” I asked, smiling.

She nodded.

“We actually prepared it for y-”

“Jackson.” my mom cut in, making my smile into frown. “She prepared it for Jackson,” she repeated and the gang’s attention turned to her, making the mood gloomy. “He really liked your performance sweetie, I’m sure he’s going to be head over heels for you.” she continued, fixing my hair.

“Mom, no. That wasn’t-”

“Jisoo, you’re up!” the stage manager called.

Chu flashed me a sad smile before walking out into the stage.

“I expect you in your seat young lady.” my mom said sternly, before walking away.

The music began and Jisoo started her piece.

_ One day, one day do not love me for a day, _

_ Also, I don’t know where to go. _

_ Korean? _ She’s singing in Korean, but the words are as clear as day. She was singing to me as I was to her. 

_ I still keep searching for my heart _

_ I can’t help it, I know my heart too. _

“I’m guessing you two are talking through songs now huh?” Seulgi asked. “She seems to be really into it.” she remarks, following me, Jen and Lisa as we walk down to the seats. 

“Leave us be Seulgi.” I told her.

“You know you should blame Jisoo for this right? I gave her the choice of going out with me or letting me out you and she refused either.” she continued taunting me.

“Seulgi I swear if you don’t back the fuck up I will make you meet your maker!” Jennie gritted through her teeth. Lisa held her back.

“I hope you’re ready to face your parents after I tell them Rosie Posie.” she teased wickedly.

I could feel my eyes starting to tear up and my chest begin to pound. I looked up at the stage at Chu and our eyes met.

_ Cause you are the piece of me _

_ I wish I didn’t need. _

_ Chasing relentlessly, _

_ Still fight and I don’t know why. _

I glanced at my mom who saw us looking at each other. She sternly waved her hands for me to come and sit with her and my dad already, but I looked back at Chu who’s eyes were already glistening with built up tears.

_ If our love is tragedy _

_ Why are you my remedy? _

_ If our love’s insanity _

_ Why are you my clarity? _

I let my body take over. I walked up the stage, grabbing everyone’s attention, making Jennie, Lisa, Seulgi, and mom watch in shock. Chu stopped singing and turned to me, the instrumental still playing in the background.

“What are you doing?” she asked confused, keeping her eyes on me. 

_ This is it.  _ I gulped and prepared myself for what I was about to do. The spotlight was on us and It felt like we were in a movie, only this time I’m not sure if we’re going to get that happy ending.

“You said actions speak louder than words. Seaulgi can out me,” I take a step closer. “My parents can hate me, I don’t care.” one more step. “I love you Kim Jisoo. And this is me saying that I am ready and I want to fight for you.” I said lastly, taking one more step until we were no more than an inch apart. “I love you.”

I hold the side of her face and pull her in for a kiss. I could hear the crowd gasping and cheering and going cray, but all that was in that moment for me was Chu and I. I could feel a tear fall from her eye and finally after locking my lips with her she kissed back.

She eases into me like we were perfect pieces to a puzzle, she pulled me closer and everything felt right again, everything felt safe and good. It felt like home. She is my home.

**JENNIE POV**

_ HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! WHAT THE HELL IS CHAENG DOING?!?!  _

One minute I was ready to kill Satan incarnate and the next Chaeng was walking up the stage. This was the most unexpected thing ever. No one was breathing. Everyone stood still and waited for what happened next.

She slowly took steps closer to Chu and I held onto Lisa’s hand unconsciously, scared for my best friends. She squeezed my hand gently, assuring me she’s there.

“I love you.” we hear softly from the mic and BOOM!  _ CHAESOO IS BACK BITCHES!  _ The entire auditorium went nuts when the two kissed.  _ How did all this happen so quickly? What? How? Holy- _

“What did she just do?” Seulgi said quietly.

“She ruined you idiotic plan dumbass! Get lost before I kick you to Mars!” I snapped at Seulgi and actually saw fear in her eyes. She walked out the auditorium and I let out a breath. I turned to Lisa and she was smiling at me. “What?” I asked.

“Good job not punching her.” she said playfully, leaning in for me to hear. 

We both share a smile and continue to cheer on our friends. I turned to see Chae’s mom and the woman was not happy. I pulled Lisa backstage and lowered the curtains. We ran to Chu and Chae.

“You both are insane.” Lisa said, still in a little bit of shock.

“Oh my God I just did that.” Chaeyoung said with wide eyes. “I mean, I don’t regret it, but where did that come from?” she added, letting out a chuckle.

“We'll figure it out later, your mom is going to be hellbent on getting to you, you both better run.” I tell them.

The four of us chuckle.

“Run away with me?” Chu cheesily asked Chae.

“Always.” she answered and took Chu’s hand and ran off. 

At that exact moment, Chae’s mom appeared and started pushing people around.

“Where is she? Park Chaeyoung! Rosanne Park!” she called.

“She’s gone Mrs. Park.” I inform her, making her walk over to me.

“Where is she?” she demanded.

“Honest to God, I have no idea. She just ran off.” I told her. That was the truth. I have absolutely no idea where those two are going, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have an idea.

“How could you let that girl influence my daughter like that? You were supposed to be her best friend Jennie!” she scolded me, making scoff.

“With all due respect ma’am, but none of us influenced your daughter. If anything, she’s the one influencing us. You should’ve seen how messed up Chu and I were before she came and fixed us.” I defended myself.

“No. I can’t have this. My daughter cannot be this. She’ll go to hell if she is!” she said angrily.

“Then we’ll all go to hell together.” Lisa said, interlocking our hands together.

That only made Chae’s mom angrier. Seriously this woman needs to take a chill pill.

“I will make sure you all pay for this.” she grits through her teeth, pointing at me and Lisa.

“Excuse me, but I hope you’re not threatening my daughter.” my mom cuts in, everyone’s attention turns to us. “Your daughter is a member of this community and we have a policy that protects a student from the likes of you. That is one thing, but to threaten my child is another. So mother to mother, I am telling you to go home and wait for your daughter because I will not allow you to speak down to mine.” she sternly.

Chae’s mom huffed and stormed out, leaving everyone speechless.

“Thanks mom.” I told my mom quietly.

“Take Ella to your place, I’m sure I’ll be getting a lot of calls tonight. I’ll have someone bring her things over. It’s Monday tomorrow so make sure she gets to school, okay?” she told me and I nodded. “And Jennie,” she said. “Tell your friends not to disappear. I don’t want a missing case under our school.” she added. I nodded again and watched her walk away.

\--

“So, did you enjoy the show?” I asked Ella while driving. Lisa came with, she said she didn’t feel okay leaving me alone after what happened.

“Yup! Jisoo and Rose look cute together. I wish I had it like them.” she said dreamily.

Lisa and I chuckled at the little kid.

“You will, someday. Hey, do you want to grab some food before we go to my place?” I asked her.

She nodded enthusiastically.

“I could ask my dad to cook us something if you want?” Lisa offered. “We could just drive by and pick it up.” she added.

“That sounds good.” I reply and smile at her.

Ella started giggling in the back making me look at her in the rearview mirror.

“What’s so funny?” I ask out of curiosity.

“You and Lili are like mom and Derek.” she giggled out. That made me turn to her shocked. 

“Mom and Der- what? No!” I refused playfully.  _ Ew. _

“Why do you say so Ella?” Lisa asked, entertaining the little one.

“You’re like married. You’re taking care of me and then you’re talking about dinner.” she laughed.

Lisa and I turned to each other and laughed. Okay, I gotta give it to Ella, that is a little funny.

“Ohh… I don’t know Ella. I don’t think Lili is ready for me.” I tease and play along.

“Please, it’s you who isn’t ready for me.” Lisa rebut.

“Oh! Oh! I have an idea!” Ella chimed. “What if you two pretend to be married and that way you’ll know if you’re ready for each other.” she teased.

We all chuckle, Lisa and I having fun with this whole conversation. I noticed how her eyes would get smaller the more she laughs, making her look like a cute little bean.

“Sure, whatever you say.” Lisa chuckled out.

To her it may seem like a simple joke, but what she said meant a lot to me. I know it’s just for fun, but imagining Lisa as my partner… yeah, I wouldn’t hate that at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YUP! Chaesoo is back!!! What did you guys think? What was your favorite part? I used Chaelisa's performance of L.O.V.E for their stage and Jisoo's Clarity for hers. You guys can look it up on youtube, I feel like you'll get more of a feel hearing it while reading the whole performance scene. I hope you guys enjoyed! I'm too excited to write a proper closing note lmao! See you in the next chapter!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloow good people of this fic! This is a filler chapter...(I'M SO SORRY) I'm currently swamped with school stuff and work stuff so I couldn't write much. I'm still debating in my head how I really want this story to go on. Don't worry I've got a whole plot in my head it's just that there's so many things I can make happen right now and I don't wanna mess it up. I'll probably update around next week because like I said the world wants me busy right now. Anywhoo I hope this is enjoyable!

**ALICE POV**

**\--A Year Ago--**

_ I’m not one to assume things. I hate it when people assume things without concrete evidence, it’s probably what makes me so good at being a student of law. You should know that I’m aware that I’m being a hypocrite by assuming something about my sister. It’s not that I want to, it’s just that she’s been acting differently and she’s kind of presenting opportunities for me to assume. _

_ For instance, she’s smiling more and she’s always on her phone. She’s not usually like that. She carries that gadget around with her more now and she put up a lock on it. What’s weirder is that she’s always smiling when she’s on her phone. She’ll laugh at animal videos, but I don’t think she’s obsessed with them to always be watching them right? She also goes out more now. I know she and Jennie have been friends for a year or two and I know all about the building reputation that girl has. Rosie may be going along with her, but I know my sister is not a party-till-I-die type. _

_ My only assumption is that she’s finally dating someone. Sure, it’s not a big deal, our parents let us date but if she is and she’s not telling us, then that can only mean two things; it’s a dude with a bad record or it’s a girl. _

_ “Rosie, please put your phone down. Your mom might not be here but I expect the rules to be kept.” dad told her as he took a bite out of his take-out steak. _

_ “Sorry,” she says and puts her phone down. _

_ “Who is that anyway? You’ve been on your phone for almost 2 hours now.” dad asked. _

_ “Oh, that was just Jisoo. She sent some funny videos of her dog.” she answered. _

_ “And you’ve been watching it for two hours?” I ask casually. _

_ “I- no. Well- I-” she stuttered. “There were a lot of videos.” she answered. _

_ Okay, something is definitely up. It’s not like I haven’t noticed my sister isn’t entirely into boys. Her small glances with girls are really obvious and my parents are just too blind to see it. _

_ “Oh, I haven’t met Jisoo. Bring her over for dinner sometime so we can meet, I’m sure she’s a good as Jennie? But please take some time off your phone.” my dad told her. _

_ Her phone chimed and she checked it quickly. An excited smile flashed on her face, but she was quick to hide it. _

_ “Uh, dad, do you think I could go over to Jennie’s?” she asked all of a sudden. _

_ “It’s a school night.” dad answered, furrowing his brows.  _

_ “I know, but Jennie has this new proposal she has for our Biology project and I was hoping we could work on it asap.” Rosie pouted, giving dad her puppy eyes. An old, but never failing trick, especially if it’s Rosie. Her head flicked forward, causing a strand of her hair to fall forward which is something she does when she’s lying. No one has ever really caught it since she rarely lies, but I see her. _

_ “Alright, alright. But fix your plate before leaving.” dad agreed after letting out a sigh. Mom would’ve said no right off the bat, but not dad.  _

_ My eyes met Rosie’s and I gave her a knowing smirk. She got up excitedly and fixed her plate. _

_ “She’s not really going to Jennie’s is she?” dad asked once our youngest was in her room. “It’s not hard to see the difference… she’s glowing and it’s just like how you glowed when you started dating your boyfriend.” he continued. _

_ “Ex,” I corrected him. “And I don’t want to assume,” I added. “At least not without evidence.” I continued. _

_ “But there is evidence, just not as concrete as you’d want them to be. The small things Alice; the way she acts, what she prioritizes, what- who makes her smile.” he began. “Your sister’s dating someone, I can assume that with the way I’m seeing her. The question is… who.” he says with a playful smile. _

_ Dad has always been on the light side of things. He’s not as… overbearing as mom, which I am thankful for because one parent that forces you into doing things is enough. _

_ “Who knows, she might be dating Jennie.” I joked, making us both chuckle. I watch him for a moment, thinking if it’s okay to ask. We grew up in a religious family and were raised to be the perfect daughters, so asking certain questions will raise some eyebrows. “But what if she was? Would that be… bad?” I asked. _

_ He stopped eating and slowly put his utensils down. Uh-oh. _

_ “What brought this to mind?” he asked curiously. _

_ “Nothing, I just thought what if? Don’t worry about it. I’m probably just talking nonsense.” I told him and got back to eating.  _

_ There was a moment of silence between us which was really tense for me. I didn’t want him to think that I was challenging whatever mom taught us growing up… not that I agreed with it either. _

_ “I think loving someone is a blessing not everyone can have.” he began, making me look up at him. “If your sister were to love someone like Jennie… I don’t think that I would call it bad.” he continued. “It may be different and new to me, but love is… love. If I understand correctly, that’s what we’re supposed to do, right?” he adds, giving me a small smile in the end. _

\--

**\--PRESENT DAY--**

It’s okay, everything is perfectly okay. It’s only been what? 5 hours since Rosie’s talent show and her movie-like coming out where her and Jisoo ended up disappearing into who knows where. I paced around the kitchen, constantly sticking my neck out to see if my little sister came home. I’m not worried that Jisoo might’ve whisked her away, I’m worried because right now mom is an angry mess and dad is so out of it.

I take my phone up and dial up Jennie.

“Alice?” she answers through the other end.

“Jennie, any news? I know you know where they are. Please, I just need to know that they’re okay and that they’re not going to do anything stupid.” I asked, practically begging her for an answer.

“I’m sorry Alice, but I really don’t know where they went.” she answered me. “I can come up with two places that I think they might’ve gone, but I can’t confirm if they’re there. Chu didn’t bring her phone with her today and Chae turned hers off. I tried calling them too, but I’m just in the dark as much as you are.” she added.

“Do you think they’ll come home?” I asked again.

“Chae loves you guys very much. She’ll come home, don’t worry. Maybe they just took some time to let things cool down and you know… catch up?” she answered in a comforting tone.

That made me chuckle a little bit. Yeah, catch up. I swear, if Rosie thinks that sleeping with JIsoo is important right now, I’m pulling her hair out till she’s bald.

The door slowly opened, making me shoot my head up to see.  _ Rosie. _

“She’s here. I’ll call you later.” I told Jennie before hanging up. “Rosie,” I quietly said as I walked to her. I didn’t know whether to ask her or to scold her for disappearing like that.

“Alice, I know I messed up a little but-”

“Thank God you’re fine.” I said while hugging her. “Where did you go?” I asked, pulling away.

“We went to Jisoo’s family house. We just needed to get away for a while… is mom still… mad?” she answered.

“Mad? Of course not. She’s bringing hell up to earth and is setting up a whole search party for you.” I told her.

“Rosanne Park!” mom yelled, making her way to us. She must’ve heard our voices. I immediately stand in front of Rosie just in case mom goes a little overboard. “How? How could you do this to me? To us!” she demanded, dad held her back.

“Calm down.” he tells her.

“No!” she exclaims, pulling out of his hold. “Where is she? Where is that girl that poisoned your mind?” she demanded for Jisoo. I could feel Rosie holding on to the back of my shirt. She must be so scared right now. 

“They didn’t do anything wrong mom. Please calm down.” I spoke up. I love my parents and I love my family, but my love for Rosie trumps all of those. If she’s not capable of fighting this alone, then I will fight with her. “How you’re reacting is not helping the situation, we’re not going to be able to talk this through properly.” I added calmly.

“Talk? You think there’s something to talk about? Rosie, listen to me. You will end whatever disgusting things it is that you have with that girl. You will stop seeing her, you will stop talking to her, you will cut her off from your life. Forever! That is the end of this conversation.”my mom said in one breathe. 

“No, I won’t.” Rosie finally spoke. She stepped in front of me to face mom. “I love her and… this is me. I don’t like guys the way you want me to like them mom. I’m in love with Jisoo and there’s nothing you can do about it.” she said confidently. I’m proud. Really proud. She’s finally stepping out of her shell and this is all I’ve ever wanted for her. Of course, less the psychotic mother.

There was silence between the two of them. For a moment I thought my mom finally got some sense into her head, but I assumed wrong.

There was a loud slap sound that echoed in the apartment. My hand covered my mouth to stop a shocked gasp from getting out. Mom just slapped Rosie. Everyone was shocked. Mom has never once lifted a finger on us, but now she just… I stayed frozen in my place. I wanted to go to Rosie, to comfort her. I could tell she was crying silently from what just happened, but my legs won’t move and for the first time in years, I felt like I failed to protect her as a sister.

“What are you doing!” dad spoke up after snapping out of the moment.

“You. Are not my daughter.” mom told Rosie. “Get out.”

“No!” dad yelled.

“Don’t! Tell me what I can and cannot do!” mom turned to him. He looked defeated in a way. “Get out of my home. My daughter is gone, I don’t know who you are.” she adds before walking away.

I could see Rosie let out a strangled breath. She grew weak, I finally was able to move my feet so I caught her when her legs failed her. I noticed dad tried to get to her too, but he hesitated.

“Alice, take her to Jisoo’s. Stay with her for now. I’ll talk to your mom, I’ll try and fix this.” he said in a calm yet caring manner. Of course I nodded and took some of Rosie’s weight. She was trying to stay put, but it’s not exactly  _ safe  _ for her here right now.

We walk to Jisoo’s apartment, I knock for a few times but no one answers.

“She’s not here.” Rosie says softly. “She went to the airport.” she adds.

“Uh… okay.” I thought for a moment. “Okay, come on.” I tell her and help her to the elevator. I thought that I’d just bring her to Jennie’s. I’m sure even with this mess Jennie can still provide some sort of comfort for Rosie.

I drove over to her house, Rosie was quiet the whole ride. She was looking out the window and tears would roll down her cheeks. I don’t know how much this is hurting her, how much pain she’s trying to endure right now. She seemed devastated and I wanted to speak to her, but I know I shouldn’t. We both knew that there was a chance that mom and dad would get mad at her or punish her or something, but we never thought that she’d get kicked out for coming out.

It angered me that she has to feel this way for being who she is, for loving who she wants to love. It’s so unfair. It’s not like loving someone the same gender as you is any different from loving someone from the opposite. Mom and dad are sweet and they take care of each other, they make sure they protect one another and constantly worry about one another. In 2 years, all of that, I saw it all with Rosie’s relationship with Jisoo. I saw them in their honeymoon stage, I saw them have their first fight, hell they even broke up and got back together. 

They deserve the happiness that everyone else has. They deserve to be given the chance to have what any “normal” person has.

**BOBBY POV**

I’m watching Ella jump around on the small couch while watching tv. Jennie’s place is redecorated and turned to look like an actual teenager’s room instead of a motel room. I even gave her the one room that is for vip guests which has a kitchen and a whole bedroom. I understand her situation, I understand why she has to be here and not home. It was sad that she had to go through that. She’s smart and I hated to see that go to waste.

I befriended her when she came to the club 2 years ago. She was younger and more childish, maybe she still is. She asked me for a shot of my strongest drink and I laughed at her. I offered her a small milk carton instead. She hated it and we became acquaintances that night and she came often to talk with me. 

It was around a year ago when I found her talent in business management. I had some meetings set in the club and she was there to accompany me as my “assistant”. The partners that came took interest in her, constantly asking for her opinion on things even though she wasn’t even supposed to talk. She managed to convince an investor to make an investment which is probably what gave the club a chance with popularity.

She’s a people person and she’s good with her words. It’s something that I thought shouldn’t go to waste. I offered her something a few months ago.

_ “I want you to start an apprenticeship under me.” I told her. _

_ “Huh? Like wizardry and stuff?” she asked, confused. _

_ “No. I want you to learn how the business around the club works. You know like someone who’s gonna be under my wing and hopefully take over someday.” I explained. _

I love this club and I want to know that I can entrust it to someone that will love it as much as I do and will take care of it. I know Jennie is the one for the job.

“So what’s the situation at home?” I asked. The elder sister was preparing the table for dinner. Lisa was helping her. 

“Well, BamBam’s still recovering from meeting my fist, my mom’s trying to make sure that the school doesn’t get a bad rep from all the drama that’s been happening this month and her husband is somewhere in Virginia sipping cheap beer with his pals, so just perfect.” she answered, humoring me.

“I’m sure it’ll all be okay somehow.” I tell her. “What about Ella? How come she’s not there right now?” I asked. I was a little surprised when Jennie arrived with the little one. I’m not fond of kids, but Ella is a whole grown up stuffed into the body of a six year old.

“I asked if I could spend some time with her. Besides, mom won’t be able to take care of her. She’s probably busy right now and I don’t trust her not to go into BamBam’s room. You know what happened the last time.” she answered again. 

She’s really a good sister. A tough daughter maybe, but she never really came short when it came to Ella.

“Oh, okay. Just don’t leave her alone for your shift later okay? I can’t risk having her running downstairs and someone reporting me for letting a little kid in the establishment.” I tell her a little playfully.

“You don’t have to worry about that.” Lisa perks. “I’m staying until Jennie’s shift ends. I’ll make sure Ella and I stay put.” she says with a sweet smile.

“Aren’t your parents going to want you home? Jennie’s shift doesn’t end till 11 pm.” I ask.

“They get it. They were at school when everything happened and they’re glad I’m making friends. It’s not like I slack off at school so they trust that I can hold myself well on my own.” she answers.

I nodded and a smirk slowly crawled on my lips.

“What’s that for?” Jennie asked. Lisa left the area and went to check on Ella.

“Nothing. Just you and Lisa seem to be working really well.” I say a little teasingly. “You two went on a date right? Care to share some tea?” I asked enthusiastically.

“We just had a picnic.” she answered casually.

“And?” I ask, wanting more.

“And what? We talked? Got caught in the rain? What else is there to say?” she says, chuckling a little.

“Are you two official already?” I asked.

She scoffed lightly and shook her head.

“Everyone seems to think that once we go on one date we’re supposed to be girlfriends.” she says chuckling again. 

“It’s not that… it’s how you two are, really.” I tell her. She seems amused and curious by my statement. “You just work so well together. I mean, sure the bantering but you two obviously care for each other and the effort you both put in for the other isn’t something that someone does after just one date.” I explain.

She thought for a second. I got a text and I checked it.  _ Shit.  _ She was about to open her mouth, but I spoke to cut her off.

“I have to go. There’s an emergency I have to deal with. Stay here and keep tabs on things. If anyone asks for me, tell them I’m out of town.” I told her. She nodded with a surprised expression and I rushed out the room.

_ If you want something done, you really have to do it yourself. I’m killing this asshole. _

**BAMBAM POV**

I had to roll out of bed when someone started knocking on the door. It’s around 6 pm, Mrs. Kim probably went out to get dinner. I groggily answered the door and rubbed the back of my head when I met Chaeyoung and her sister by the door.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

“Is Jennie here?” the older Park asked.

I looked back into the apartment before answering.

“No. She hasn’t come home in a while. Shouldn’t you know?” I say, nodding to Chaeyoung.

Her sister turned to her and the younger girl mouthed an “I forgot”.

“Perfect. Drove here for nothing.” the older one muttered under her breath.

“Why do you need Jennie?” I asked out of curiosity. I’ve been asleep all day. Jennie gave me a pretty hard concussion when she punched me and even though it looked like my face is getting better, I still have this headache that comes and goes. Chaeyoung looked like a storm just passed her and if she’s coming here then it must’ve been serious.

“It’s nothing to concern yourself about. Sorry to be a bother.” the older girl answered. They were preparing to walk away but I felt the need to stop them.

“Wait,” I called, making both of them turn. “It’s cold out. Do you guys maybe want to have a cup of coffee or something?” I offered. Strangely enough they took it. This is unlike me, but it seemed like they both had a hard day.

\--

“Wow, talk about bringing movies to life.” I remarked and took a sip of my coffee. 

Chaeyoung was in Jennie's room doing whatever and Alice, her sister and I have been talking about what happened.

“I may be an ass, but homophobia sucks.” I tell her.

“Yeah.” she replied sadly. “Thank you by the way for this. I have no idea where else to bring her. We’ll get out of your hair once Jennie manages to reply to me.” she says.

“It’s no problem. Chaeyoung has always been civil with me. I don’t mind helping out.” I tell her.

“What happened to your face?” she asked me, changing the subject of our conversation.

“Oh, this?” I chuckled. “Would you believe that the girl you’re waiting to reply did this to me?” I jokingly said, making her laugh a little.

“You’re the brother she’s always cursing?” she confirms, still laughing a little.

I nodded and smiled a little. I hate it when Jennie called me her brother or when any of them in this family did. How could I not? It only reminded me of everything that happened. 

“I heard about what happened… did you really do it?” she asked. “Sorry if I’m poking, but Jennie was pretty messed up when her dad disappeared on her.” she added.

“Yeah. I did it. I reported her dad to the cops.” I answered, not even bothering to deny it. Why should I? I know what I did was right. 

“Wow… do you not feel a little guilty about it though? I mean it kind of pushed them apart completely. They were just meeting because they missed each other. Even I would’ve let it slip.” she asked. Her tone was innocent and didn’t have a hint of judgement in them.

“No. Why should I? I had a good reason.” I answered her.

“Because you blame Jennie for what happened to you. Your parents.” Chaeyoung cut us off, walking into the kitchen. “News flash, it wasn’t her fault. Your parents did it, not her so stop making her pay for their faults.” she said, crossing her arms.

“And what makes you think that I had no other reason to do what I did?” I challenged, amused.

“You’re you. You’ve hurt Jennie more than she’s hurt you. You blame her for every shitty thing that’s happened to your life. You once spread rumors about her in school, you hurt Ella, and you literally just told me you would out me if I broke it off with Jackson last week.” she answered. Alice looked at me with an eyebrow raised. “Come on Alice, I know where Jennie’s staying. Let’s just go.” Chaeyoung said and went ahead of her sister out the door. 

Alice was slow to get up. She waited a few seconds before turning to me.

“Why’d you do all that?” she asked, looking for some sort of clarity. For a moment I decided not to be an ass. 

“Sophomore year, a senior was eyeing Jennie. I overheard them talking about showing her a good time… whether she liked it or not. I spread some rumors about her being a part of some gang to scare them away.” I answered the first accusation. “Ella was 3? 4? She went into my room to play and ended up breaking a few cars in my collection, they were the last thing my mom gave me before she left. I got angry and maybe I held her too tight. It’s a thing. Jennie and I both developed issues. I’m just better at controlling myself… sometimes.” I said for the second. “Jackson is my best friend. I don’t want him getting hurt. Of course I’d cross lines for him. But I heard Seulgi talking to her friend about Jisoo and Chaeyoung and how she was going to out her if Jisoo didn’t go out with her. I blackmailed your sister because I saw it as a way to help both her and me. She doesn’t leave Jackson and she doesn’t stop Jisoo from going with Seulgi, protecting their secret.” I answered for the third accusation.

“I always have a reason for doing what I do.” I finish it off and sip my coffee.

She nods and takes a moment before leaving me alone in the kitchen.

\--

**JENNIE POV**

“I am so sorry Chaeng. I wish it was better.” I told my friend. I hugged her, trying to be of some comfort, but I knew I wasn’t who she needed right now which is why I left Chu a message earlier telling her to hurry up and be here for her girl.

It was my one hour break. I’ve been working for hours now. Lisa has been so kind to stay with Ella and receive Alice and Chaeng even though it’s already 15 minutes before 12. 

“I love you bread cheeks. You know that right? I’ll always be here for you.” I tell her as I pull away.

“Thanks Jen. I know that. Right now I’m just tired and I would really appreciate it if I could just lie down?” she replied sadly.

“Yeah, of course. Go ahead. I have to get back downstairs anyway.” I tell her.

“I also have to bail. My dad just texted me, he says curfew.” Lisa chimed in.

Chaeng nodded.

“I’ll stay here with Ella and Rosie, you two go on ahead.” Alice said with a smile.

\--

Lisa and I were making our way down to the club. I felt guilty for keeping her too long, though I didn’t hate it. We spent all afternoon entertaining Ella and occasionally getting to know each other more

“Where are you going?” Lisa asked when I stepped out of the club with her.

“To drive you home.” I answered and held out my keys to open my car.

“No, you need to stay here and keep an eye on the club.” she said.

“It’s a 10 minute drive, they can miss me for a while.” I tell her. “Come on, I’m not arguing with you. It’s almost 12, I don’t trust public transport with you. I’m driving you home and personally apologizing to your parents for keeping you this late.” I said and pulled her to the car.

She didn’t say much really. I knew she was tired from the day we had. I drove as quickly and as safely as I could. It took us 8 minutes to get her home.

“Thanks Jennie.” she said and gave me a small smile. She unbuckled her seatbelt and prepared to get out, collecting her things.

“Hey, are we… girlfriends?” I asked out of the blue, making her stop and look at me.

“We go on one date and you think that-”

“No. It’s not me. I swear I’ve been telling everyone that. It’s just that they keep asking if we are and I wondered where you stood on it. Glad we’re on the same page.” I cut her off before she could finish the sentence I’ve been saying.

She furrowed her brows.

“Shouldn’t you be into the idea of it? How come you’re not that excited when getting labeled as girlfriends?” she asked curiously.

It made me wonder. 

“Because… I’m serious about you?” I answer, unsure if that’s really what I would call it. She tilts her head slightly. “I already told you Lili, I like you. A lot. I don’t want to rush anything especially since we’re both still scared of what the other could do.” I began. “We can take our time. Getting to know each other and hanging out is the start right?” I say.

She smiled slowly.

“That’s another side of you that I’m seeing Jennie Kim. I like it.” she tells me. She looks at a notification on her phone. “Daddy just texted me to go in. He says to tell you to go home as well.” she says.

I was going to go and talk to her parents, but they seem to be more lenient than I thought.

“Do you want me to walk you to your door?” I asked. I started to try and unbuckle my seatbelt but it’s stuck.  _ Stupid car _ . I’m going to buy a new one once I start earning big time.

I hear Lili chuckle while watching.

“Always a gentle woman. Maybe I am lucky to have you... good night Nini.” she says sweetly and I feel her lips on my cheeks again.

It made me froze for a second and when I turned to see her, she was already out of the car.

_ Have me... _

Okay I’m starting to think that I might like her more than I think I do. I watched as she walked in her house. She even gave me a small wave. My phone vibrated and pulled me out of my trans.

🐔  _ 11:56 p.m _

_ Omw. _

_ We need to talk. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed it hsdghs I feel like I just failed you all T T Btw, there's a reason why we didn't see things in Chaeyoung/Jisoo/Lisa POV in this chapter so just wait for what I have planned lmao don't worry, I'll update with something good and long once I finish all this school stuff! Sorry again and I hope to see you in the next chaps!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst. Angst. Angst. Angst. I'm baackkk hopefully this makes up for the previous chapter! Enjoy!

**JISOO POV**

I’m not one to believe in fairy tales. I know happy endings are just lies we tell kids so they can get a good night’s sleep… but why did I hope this time? Things were just starting to get better- or at least they were supposed to, so why now?

“You’ve been here since 1, do you want to talk about it?” Jennie asked, wiping a glass from behind the bar.

It’s already 5 and I came by to pick Chae up after Alice texted me what happened. I also happen to have baggage of my own that I really need to let go of.

“I don’t really know how to say it… it’s all too much to just-” my voice cracked, tears were threatening to fall from my eyes. I took a moment to compose myself.

Jennie reached out to my hand and gently rubbed her thumb over it. Something she does whenever I’m down.

“I just got them back Jen… why do I have to lose them all already?” I asked, a tear falling from my eye. I know this is all too much since I cried in front of Jennie. I’ve never cried in front of anyone besides Chae and this, this was all pushing me to my limit.

“Start from the beginning Chu.” Jennie said softly, giving me a small assuring smile that she’ll be there to listen.

**\--YESTERDAY--**

_ I unlock the door to the family house. I haven’t been here since my last dinner with my parents which was almost a year and a half ago. They’ve been overseas since then. I open the lights and I’m greeted with a huge family portrait hanging by the wall. I hate that painting. It just kept reminding me of what I didn’t have anymore. _

_ “Are you sure this is okay? Won’t your parents get mad?” Chae asked me. We drove for an hour and a half from school after her mom tried chasing us. We knew we had to go back some time, but we just needed some time away together and enjoy the fact that we’re actually together before we faced the drama waiting for us back home. _

_ “Don’t worry. Mom and dad know about us, they won’t mind you and I camping out here for a bit.” I answered her with a small smile. Chae may not look like it, but I know she’s terrified after what she did.  _

_ She fought for us. She really fought for us.  _

_ I guided her inside. It really was bigger than I remember. Maybe because no one’s been here for a while or maybe it was because of the empty feeling it had. She held my hand as we walked in, she really doesn’t change. She does this every time she’s at my place. She’s always shy when it’s not her house. _

_ “Do you want anything?” I asked her. “I’m sure there’s food here.” I said even though there was a slim chance since the only people who came here were me, which I only do when I need something, my parents, which hasn’t happened in a year and a half, and some housekeepers who only drop by every once a month. _

_ “No, I’m fine. Maybe we can just go to your room? I haven’t really been here and I kinda just want to get my mind off things.” she answered, smiling thinly. _

_ I nodded. I knew this might take some kind of toll on her. I didn’t expect her to do it like that. I was expecting something like a nice sit down with her parents over lunch or something like a letter. Who knew Park Chaeyoung would come up on stage and kiss me in front of the whole school and her family. _

_ “Hey… are you okay?” I asked her while we walked up the stairs to my room.  _

_ “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” she answered, brows furrowed. _

_ “You’ve just been really quiet and I can’t help but think you’re starting to regret coming out.” I answered her lightly. Of course, I’m trying to pass it as a joke. _

_ “What? No, of course not.” she was quick to answer. “I just… I’m worried about how my parents will receive me once I face them, but I don’t and won’t ever regret coming out. I won’t regret anything with you Chu.” she answered and it made my heart melt. I knew what her answer was going to be, but hearing her say it out loud was a whole other thing. _

_ We reached a double door at the first left turn after the stairs. She looked at me like she couldn’t believe seeing a double door. _

_ “Yeah, yeah. I know. There’s two doors.” I playfully tell her. _

_ “Chu, I knew you had money… but I think you need to tell me just how much.” she said, making me laugh. Ah… my Chaeyoung. _

_ I shook my head and opened both doors for her. We slowly walked in and I could see the marvel in her eyes. I can’t blame her, even I was in shock. My room looked so different from my apartment. You’d think there was a different version of me running around. _

_ The walls were still painted purple, my favorite color in contrast to the gray walls I had in my apartment. The lighting was so much brighter, having the curtains opened. I never opened the curtains in my apartment, I hated the sunlight getting in. There was a huge mirror on the wall, I remember my dad getting it for me on my 10th birthday after I told him that I wanted to be a model. He got me a bunch of clothes and I would turn my room into a runway and look at myself in the mirror for hours. Narcissistic much huh? _

_ There was a walk-in double door closet, my own bathroom equipped with a tub, a shower, and a dressing area, and my huge king size bed in the middle of the room. Maybe I was a spoiled little kid given how big it was for only one little me and how many toys were in my room. _

_ “Wow… I guess I barely knew you at all princess Jisoo.” Chase remarked, still admiring the room. _

_ I snapped out of my amazement and scoffed. _

_ “I’m no princess… I’m a king.” I tell her, moving behind her to wrap my arms around her waist. I tip-toed and rested my chin on her shoulder. It would look funny if you saw us because usually, it’s the taller one doing the back hug instead of the tiny one. _

_ “Okay, but- how have I not been here before?” she asked, looking around the room. _

_ It only made me chuckle at how in awe she was of this. Of course, I’m used to it, it’s just that I haven’t been here for a while so I’m reminding myself of everything in here. _

_ “I don’t talk much about this part of my life. It’s not my favorite subject, but I can tell you about it if you want?” I answered her. “Not even Jennie knows I have a room the size of my apartment.” I added and planted a kiss on her neck. _

_ “But that’s Jennie, I’m your girlfriend. Shouldn’t I get a pass or something?” she whined playfully. I laughed against her skin. _

_ “Well, what do you want to know?” I asked, looking at the side of her face. _

_ “Everything!” she answered enthusiastically. _

_ “Okay, let’s see… I got that giant teddy bear in the corner for my 3rd birthday after I told my dad it looked cute. I got that polaroid camera on the nightstand for my 5th after I told my dad I wanted to be a photographer.” I began, pointing at things in my room. “That whole set up over there was for my hair and makeup after I told my mom that I wanted to be a hairdresser and that record player in the corner... was the first thing I bought with my own money after working a summer job with Jennie back in 7th grade.” I continued. _

_ Once I was done talking I was back to kissing Chae’s neck, the latter was still looking around the room. Can you blame me? She hasn’t exactly been mine for 2 weeks and even though we had that one night at the club, it’s still different when she’s actually mine. _

_ Her hands found their way to mine which were around her waist and her head tilted, allowing more room for me to kiss. There was a short silence between us, you could hear her heavy breathing. _

_ “Mmm… and what about that?” she asked. Only my eyes moved to where she was pointing to. An art set I haven’t touched in years. _

_ “I just liked to paint.” I said against her skin. I could feel her leaning more back to me. _

_ “Chu…” I heard her say softly. _

_ “Hmm?” I asked, stopping for a second. _

_ She turned to me and crashed our lips together. It was something I missed. The feeling of her lips on mine, the heat, and warmth I feel when she’s around. She holds both sides of my face and pulls me in to deepen the kiss. It was sloppy and rushed like we haven’t kissed in years. Soon we were making our way to the huge bed, the back of her knees hitting the edge, causing her to fall back and me following to hover atop her. _

_ She breaks the kiss to sit up unexpectedly. I watch as she hurriedly pulls her dress off her and I’m met with Chae with nothing but her in her undergarments. She had this look in her eyes like she knew what she wanted and she wanted it now. She pulled off my blouse, her eyes not leaving mine. _

_ I felt her hands behind my neck, pulling me towards her until our lips met again. She kissed me hungrily, she felt so dominant and I felt like I just wanted to let everything go and give myself to her. _

\--

“Okay, I’ll stop you right there.” Jennie interrupted. “I get how this is supposed to be sad and all, but like- can we skip the part where you and Chae do the nasty? The last thing I want right now is to hear how you two do your thing after a tiring night of work.” she added with a slightly disgusted look on her face.

“Right,” I say. “Sorry. Where is Bobby anyways? Shouldn’t they be here? I thought you were only on the clock till 12?” I asked her. It was weird, Bobby was usually the one behind the counter.

“They took off around 9? Haven’t called or texted ever since. She said it was an emergency so I left her one message and didn’t bother her anymore.” she answered. 

“Weird.” I remarked.

“Get back to your story, I just had to stop you before you told me too much.” she said, yawning.

\--

_ Chae is stroking my hair, my head is resting her chest. We’ve been like this for the past 10 minutes now. Honestly, I’ve never felt more exhausted all my life. Chae was like something else, a tiger that’s been let out of its cage after being deprived of roaming the wild for years. _

_ “What’s on your mind?” she asks, pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked up at her with a small smile. _

_ “Just you… I was just thinking about how you were a few minutes ago and how you are now.” I answered her. _

_ “I didn’t hurt you or anything did I?” she asked worriedly, lifting her head to see me better. “I was just a little… deprived?” she added with a guilty look. _

_ I crawled up to meet my lips with hers with a chaste kiss. _

_ “No, you didn’t hurt me. I really loved it.” I assured her. “I was just thinking that it was the first time I think you topped me.” I said playfully, grinning. “You’re just such a bottom that I never thought you had it in you.” I teased. _

_ “Jerk!” she whined and hit me. We both chuckled and laid my head back on her chest. “I missed you. So much.” she said a little later. _

_ “I missed you too baby.” I told her, drawing circles on her arm.  _

_ “Did you… did you see anyone while we were on a break?” she asked hesitantly. I looked up at her questionably. “It’s just that I heard people saying that they saw you and Giselle together and Seulgi was asking you out on dates-” _

_ “There is no one but you Chaeng.” I interrupted her. “Giselle and I were just catching up and you know very well that Seulgi is the last person I would ever go out with.” I added. “Please trust me that there is no one but you.” _

_ It was something that I had to tell her. I know Chae loves me very much, but sometimes it hurts when she thinks I would ever be with anyone else but her. _

_ “It’s not that I don’t trust you…” she begins. “It’s me that’s the problem.” she says sadly. I furrow my brows. “I’m… I’m a little insecure about people who get to make you smile or can get your attention.” she admits. _

_ “How come?” I asked curiously, using my elbows to support me as I prop up. _

_ “Well… I do that. I make you smile and everything, but seeing someone being able to do it too makes me feel like I can be replaced. Especially when I wasn’t out. It felt like there was always someone better for you, someone better than me.” she continued. _

_ “Chae,” I start and ask her to sit up. “Listen to me okay? The universe can put the most perfect person in front of me, but I still won’t choose them over you. There is no one and I mean no one that could be better for me than you. No one that could be better than you.” I tell her, cupping her face. “You are my one and only.” I add. _

_ She smiles and nods. I kiss her again. It’s sweet and chaste at first but it’s getting deeper and she’s pushing me back down to the bed. We’re making out at this point and she’s chuckling a little as my hands travel her body. _

_ “Oh my Lord!” someone exclaims from the door. _

_ I suddenly sit up and cover both of us with the blankets. I squinted my eyes and saw a guy turned around and burying his face in his hands. _

_ “Mason?” I call out. _

_ “Miss Kim. I am awfully sorry for coming in unannounced. I didn’t know that you were going to be here and the door was open and the lights were open so I thought someone broke in and I went upstairs to check if the house was okay and then I went to your room to check because Mr. Kim specifically told me not to let anything be touched in your room and then I saw and I turned and now I’m-” _

_ “Mason, it’s okay.” I stopped the rambling man. “What are you doing here?” I asked him. Chae hid her head behind my shoulder. _

_ “I- it’s my schedule to clean Miss. Your parents should be landing today and I was told to dust the house in preparation.” he answered, back still turned from us. _

_ Right. I completely forgot about that. _

_ “Okay, uh. Mason, do you think you could stay downstairs? Chae and I are just going to… fix up.” I told him. _

_ He nodded eagerly and swiftly left us be, closing the door without turning. _

_ “Who was that?” Chae asked shyly, a blush visible on her cheek _

_ “Mason, he’s the head housekeeper. My parents usually ask him to do the cleaning personally whenever they come home. They say he does the best job and I agree.” I said and slowly moved out of my place to pick my clothes up. _

_ “I didn’t know your parents were coming home today.” Chae said watching me. _

_ “It slipped my mind. I actually need to meet them at the airport.” I answered, putting on my pants and my bra. _

_ “Are you leaving right now?” she asked, getting out of bed herself. _

_ “No, not yet. Maybe in a while.” I answered, looking at the bedside clock. “Don’t worry, I can still go with you to your parents.” I told her. _

_ I know that it was eventual that Chae would have to go. I knew keeping her for days would worsen the situation between her parents and me. _

_ “No, it’s fine. Go to your parents, I can face mine myself.” she said with a small assuring smile. _

_ I furrow my brows and put on my shirt. I walk to her and stop her from putting hers on. _

_ “Hey, no. I can be there. You fought for me and I’m not letting you face anything alone.” I told her. _

_ She smiled and gave me a peck before putting the shirt on. _

_ “I appreciate it Chu, but I think this is something I do have to do alone. This one’s between my parents and me and I know that they’re not going to be taking it lightly. I don’t want you getting caught in the middle of it all.” she said. _

_ “But I already am involved. I’m literally your girlfriend.” I rebutted. _

_ “Trust me?” she simply said. “I promise that you’re not going to lose me. I won’t let it happen.” she added. _

_ I pursed my lips and nodded. As much as I wanted to push for me to come, she was somewhat right. This was something that she had to do alone. _

_ “Alright. We can both leave after we eat. I know you get hungry pretty quick after… you know.” I tell her with a knowing smile. _

_ \-- _

_ “Text me when you’re there and update me on what’s happening.” I told Chae through the car window. She nodded, smiling at me. “Hey, I’m really proud of you. And I love you and you are perfect just the way you are.” I added. I guess I needed to tell her that just in case things don’t go our way. _

_ “I love you too baby. Now go before you miss your parents.” she tells me with a wider smile. _

_ I step back from the car and I watch as she drives away. _

_ “Miss?” Mason called from behind. “The car your parents requested is on its way. Is there anything I can get you before it arrives?” he asks as I turn around to face him. _

_ “Uh, I don’t think so. I can just wait for it inside.” I answered. _

_ He nodded and went in himself. _

_ \-- _

_ We’re driving to the airport and I’m anxiously waiting for Chae’s text on what happened. It’s silly because she might still be on her way. I look out the car window, watching the scenery pass by. It’s not really much of a scene anyways, all there is are buildings and establishments which will fall over time. _

_ We drive for about 45 more minutes until we reach the airport. It’s crowded. I hate crowded places. I wait patiently in the car until the chauffeur opened the door and two very well dressed individuals joined me. _

_ “Mom, dad.” I greet them with a small smile. They’ve been gone for a year and a half yet they still look as though they’ve only aged a day.  _

_ “Jisoo. You look… causal. Didn’t you receive our message to wear something more formal?” my dad greeted. _

_ “We don’t see each other for a year and a half and the first thing you notice is what I’m wearing?” I asked. I’m used to it. It’s always business with them and never me first. _

_ “We’re sorry sweetheart, we just expected you to be ready for our family dinner.” my mom cuts in. “How have you been?” she asks, getting herself comfortable in her seat. _

_ “I’ve been good. School has been a cakewalk and I’m already looking into some colleges. Chase and I also went through a rough patch, but it’s all good. We’re back together.” I answered her. _

_ She nods her head while checking her phone. _

_ “That’s good to hear sweetie,” she says, her eyes still on the gadget. _

**UNN13** _ 10:06 p.m _

_ Mom kicked Rosie out… _

_ We went to your apartment but you weren’t there. We’re going to Jennie’s. _

_ Reply asap. _

_ I let out a sigh. Why do people have to be evil to do that? _

_ “Uh… so how’s France?” I asked, trying to take myself away from the thought of what happened to Chae because it was hurting me as much as it hurt her. Plus, I can't let my anger get the best of me while I'm in a car with my parents. _

_ “It was okay. The food is different but very tasty.” dad answered. “What about you? How has it been living here? We never really got to quite enjoy any of it since we’re always on business trips.” he added. _

_ “It’s okay. I managed to get by.” I told him. “I bought myself an apartment close to school, so that’s something,” I added. _

_ I never really told them about the apartment. On my 18th birthday, they and their friends gave me a but load of cash for a gift and I used it to buy the apartment.  _

_ “An apartment?” he suddenly turned. Finally, I have his attention. “What prompted you to do that? Is the house not fitting for you anymore?” he asked. _

_ “No, please don’t think of it like that. It’s just that it got lonely after a while and I thought that living closer to school and having my own little place would be nice.” I answered him. _

_ He furrowed his brows, trying to wrap his head around it. _

_ “And your expenses?” he continued his mini interrogation. _

_ “The allowance you send me every month. It’s more than enough so I just take what I need and save the rest up.” I answered him. _

_ He pursed his lips and nodded. _

_ “That’s… good,” he says. “I do expect you to stay in the house for the time that your mother and I are going to be here,” he tells me. _

_ “I don’t know… I’m actually in a situation right now. Chae might be staying with me for a while so I don’t think I can leave the apartment.” I tell him, impressed with how long I’ve been holding his attention. _

_ “What happened?” he asked, genuinely curious. _

_ “Uh… she came out to her parents. Her mom didn’t like the idea of her being with a girl, so she kicked her out.” I tell him. “I would stay with you guys, but she’s not in the best place right now and I don’t want to leave her alone,” I added, making myself clear that I will choose Chae over them. _

_ It’s not that they don’t matter to me. I just know that I would choose the person who stayed for me instead of the ones that left me. _

_ It took him a moment to answer. He seemed like he was thinking about something. _

_ “Invite her to stay with us at the family house.” he suddenly suggests. I furrow my brows, unsure if he was being real or not. “Yes, invite her. You can let her stay for as long as she needs to, it might be good for the both of you,” he adds. _

_ I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t know what to think. I was kind of happy but at the same time, I knew there was a reason behind it. _

_ “How would that benefit you?” I asked him. _

_ “Benefit me?” he asked back. _

_ “You’re a businessman. If there’s one thing you taught me, when someone puts up an offer that benefits me, there’s always something in the dark that benefits them.” I told him. _

_ He smiles like he was proud of me for remembering.  _

_ “There’s nothing in it for me this time. I just want you to be in the house and if it means inviting your girlfriend to stay with us then so be it,” he answers and turns to the front. _

_ Weird. _

_ We arrive at the house and they head inside first. I took the time to send Alice a quick message. _

**ME** _ 10:57 p.m _

_ Sorry I wasn’t there. My parents came home from France and I have to have dinner with them. Do you need me to be there now? I can leave if you want? _

**UNN13** _ 11:02 p.m _

_ It would be really appreciated if you could get here now. _

_ She’s really going through it. _

_ She’s not talking and she just wants to sleep. _

_ She needs you. _

_ That’s all I needed to know.  _

**ME** _ 11:02 p.m _

_ I’ll be there soon. _

_ I follow my parents in the house. They’re in the living room getting comfortable after the tiring travel. _

_ “Dad, mom, can I miss dinner tonight?” I asked, knowing that they might say no, but I need to try for Chae. _

_ My dad gave me a humoring look. _

_ “I’ll just pick her up. She needs me right now… please?” I explained. _

_ They both shared a look, it’s pretty suspicious like there was some other meaning behind it. My dad gave my mom a nod. _

_ “Be home as soon as you can. We have some things we need to discuss,” she says in a serious tone.  _

_ “Why? Is there something wrong?” I asked.  _

_ “Go to your girlfriend Jisoo. We can discuss it later.” my dad says. _

_ “No, no. You’re hiding something from me. Tell me now before I bring her here.” I say crossing my arms. “First you let her stay here and now you’re letting me go get her when we’re supposed to have dinner. What’s going on? Why aren’t you being all-controlling over me like you usually are?” I added, stepping closer to them. _

_ They both share another look. _

_ “Okay, why don’t you take a seat for a moment.” my mom said. _

\--

“What did they say?” Jennie asked me, sitting in front of me.

“My dad has… cancer,” I answered her. “He has stage 4 cancer and they’ve known for 3 years. They’ve been traveling more often looking for doctors, but his case is terminal now.” I continued. “They want me to fly to Berlin after graduation to take up a business apprenticeship with one of our partners… They want me to prepare to take over the company.” I tell her sadly.

“What? But you’re a Junior, like me. Graduation doesn’t happen till next year and you’re 19 for God’s sake. How would you even run a company?” Jennie asked.

“My credits are good enough for me to graduate this year. That’s in 3 months. The apprenticeship will be rushed, I’ll be doing everything all at the same time.” I clarify for her. “The doctors say he might not make it to two years and since I’m the only child, I’m the only heir to the company,” I added. “I asked if there was any other way we could go about it because like you said I am not ready, but… he says there isn’t one,” I tell her sadly.

“So what’s your plan?” Jennie asked.

I let out a sigh.  _ Nothing. I have absolutely no idea Jen. _

“I don’t know. If I agree I’ll be leaving Chaeng and you know that’s never going to happen. If I disagree, the company and everything my parents worked for will collapse.” I answered her. “It’s a lose-lose situation Jen and I don’t want to lose anyone,” I tell her. “My parents are finally giving me the attention and the time I’ve been craving for years, but there’s a catch. I’ll have to lose Chaeng and then I’ll have to lose my dad.” I say, my voice cracking and a tear finally falling from my eyes.

Jennie automatically hugged me. She’s rubbing my back and it’s providing some kind of comfort.

“It’s okay... We’ll figure things out. You’re not going to be alone through this. You’ve got us.” she says.

\--

I carefully and quietly enter the room with Jennie. It’s bigger than I thought it would be. There’s a bed on one side of the room. Chae is sleeping with Ella beside her and Alice is on the small couch sleeping as well.

“I’ll get Ella’s things ready for school. Go to her.” Jennie whispered to me.

I nodded and went to sit on the bed on Chae’s side. I tucked her hair behind her ear and it stirred her awake.

“Hey…” I greeted her. “Sorry I took so long.” I apologized.

She smiled thinly and sat up to meet me with a warm hug.

“You’re here now, that’s all that matters,” she says. 

“You’re here,” Alice says sitting up from the couch. We both turn our attention to her.

“Yeah, I got held up longer than I thought,” I told her.

“Is something wrong?” Chae asked. She always knows when something’s not right with me.

“Yeah, but we don’t have to deal with it right now. Don’t worry.” I tell her with a reassuring smile. “Do you want to talk about what happened?” I asked softly.

She shook her head.

“Can we just… go home?” she asks instead.

I nodded and gave her a small smile.

\--

We arrived at the apartment around 6:30, so we have some time to prepare for school. Chae insisted on going so that means I’m going too because there is no way that I’m leaving her alone today.

“Rosie?” someone from behind called as I was trying to open the door.

We all (Alice, Chaeyoung, and I) turned around and were met with Alice and Chae’s dad.

“Dad?” Chaeng replied.

“Uh, I came by yesterday but there was no one here and Alice told me you were at Jennie’s… I was hoping I could talk with you,” he says a little shyly.

“I’ll head home you guys. I still have some papers to read over.” Alice says, pulling herself away from the confrontation. I on the other hand refused to leave, instead, I held Chaeng’s hand and her dad’s eyes followed.

“I’m not here to hurt you any more than what your mom has done. I just want to apologize.” he begins. “I know that this is something that’s been going on for a while now and I have no intentions of stopping you two from your relationship. I just want you to know that… I love you.” he says and looks down. 

“You’re my daughter and I know I wasn’t the best back there, but I do love you and all I want for you is to find the happiness and love that you deserve,” he says and looks back up at us. “I’m sorry for not being able to stand up to your mother, I know I lacked as a father there. Her beliefs are something I can’t control, unlike mine.” he takes her free hand. “I’m sorry. I want you to come home, but your mom… she’s… she’s not ready…” he says sadly.

I could feel Chaeng’s hold on my hand getting a little tighter. Her eyes are filled to the brim with water. I don’t know how else I can comfort her, just rubbed my thumb on her hand and I could feel her easing up.

“I kind of figured that she might not want to see me anytime soon… it’s… okay. I- I love her. How could I not? And I love you too dad. I would never stop loving you.” she answers him. 

“Will you forgive me for everything?” he asks.

Chae nods and briefly lets go of my hand to hug her dad. It was bittersweet. I felt like I was witnessing something private and that maybe I should’ve just went inside. As they pulled away, her dad looked at me and gave me a look and a small nod.

Of course, I understood what he meant by it.  _ I’ll take care of her sir. I won’t hurt her. I won’t leave her. I promise.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed that! I'll see you in the next chapter! I swear, the angst will come to an end after a while!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halloowww!! Thanks for waiting guys! I swear once my filming is over I'll be updating more frequently! Here's a Jenlisa chapter for you all since we've been getting angst for a while. More to come! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**LISA POV**

“Wow, you look... wasted,” I remarked playfully as Jennie appeared on the table I’m sitting at.

“Don’t remind me. I’ve been running the club for three days now and I badly need a break. Plus, Ella asks me to visit her so I’ve been driving her to school while listening to Let It Go on repeat.” she groaned out, holding her head and slumping on the table.

I chuckled at her attitude. I’ve never seen her so tired the whole time I’ve known her. She always seemed to have the energy to party for days without sleep.

“Here,” I said and took out the plastic from my bag. She sits up and watches me hand it to her. “Daddy said it’s a thank you for driving me home, though that would be the last time for a while since you and I always seem to go home late whenever we’re together,” I say lightly.

Her eyes widen and her face lights up at the sight of the dumplings.

“I love your dad,” she says and begins to munch on the treat. I laugh a little watching her.

“So, how’s the club? Have you heard any news from Bobby?” I asked, taking out my own set of snacks.

Jennie shook her head, her cheeks were puffy with the dumpling stuffing them. I smile watching her. She looks so cute going through the dumplings like there won’t be any left for her.

“Bobby’s been M.I.A. I have no idea where they are. I’ve tried calling them, but no answer.” she says. “What?” she asked after a while, noticing me watching, her cheeks stuffed.

“Nothing, you’re just really cute,” I reply and reach out to pinch her chubby cheeks.

“Ahh! Lisa!” she exclaims. I laugh at her for a second but don’t let go. “If you don’t let go I’m going to tell everyone you have a crush on me.” Jennie threatened. 

“As if anyone’s going to believe you.” I brush off her threat and let go.

She smirks as I take my seat again.

“So you do have a crush on me,” she said wiggling her eyebrows.

“I never said that,” I tell her.

“You didn’t deny it either.”

“I-”

She looked at me with that smug look and I wanna take it off her face. To be fair, I do have a crush on her, but it’s not like I’ll just go right out and say it.

“And here I thought you were being nice and sweet. Guess I was wrong, you’re still annoying.” I playfully say and roll my eyes.

“Please, you like it when I annoy you. It’s one of the charms that you love about me,” she says proudly.

I scoff at her words. We silently eat for the next 20 minutes occasionally stealing glances at each other. I don’t really know what to talk about with her. Do we talk about ourselves? Do we talk about Chu and Chae? Ella? I don’t really know, but the silence is comfortable. I don’t mind just being like this with her.

“So, I was in the halls earlier and I saw this poster,” she spoke. “There’s some kind of dance competition that the school’s preparing and I don’t know if you’re interested, but I think you might like it since you like to dance,” she added.

I smiled a little.  _ There she is. Sweet and thoughtful Jennie. _

“Aww… that’s so sweet. You remembered me.” I cooed to tease her. “But no thanks. As much as I like dancing, I don’t have time for that. Especially now that midterms are coming.” I tell her. I’ve been studying as much as I can, but going out with Jennie, this whole drama between Jisoo and Chaeyoung took up a little more time than I expected.

Not that I regret anything. I loved my time with them.

“It’s literally the third week. Midterms aren’t till next month.” Jennie said.

“Exactly, I need the extra time to prepare and read up on my lessons,” I tell her.

She tries to hold back a chuckle but eventually lets it out. I furrow my brows at what she thinks is funny.

“I’m sorry, it’s just that- you’re more obsessed with school than Chae is,” she says, her laughter dying down. “It’s one month away Lisa, loosen up. Join the dance competition. I’ll even help you with your routine so you don’t have to think about it too much.” she offered. “You’re too good of a dancer to pass this up and, who knows, maybe you’ll even find your passion in dancing instead of… whatever it is you’re going to take.” she adds.

I raised an eyebrow at her.

“I’m already passionate about dancing and- you’ll help me? I didn’t know you could dance. At least not like you do at a party.” I say, slightly impressed. 

“There are quite a few things you don’t know about me Lili,” she says smirking.

\--

I’m walking along the hallways because where else would I walk? I’ve been considering Jennie’s suggestion of joining the dance competition. My last competition was back in grade school so the thought of joining one right now is really nerve-wracking to me. 

I passed the bulletin board where the poster was pinned, I only took a glance. I stopped walking when I saw what was printed on the poster.  **_College Scouts will be attending._ **

_ College scouts?  _ It made me wonder. What if Jennie was right when she said I should pursue dancing? No, no. I shouldn’t think about pursuing dancing, it won’t bring me anything.

_ “... when you’re passionate about something, don’t think of the money. Do good in what you’re doing and the rest will come easily… you, my Lili will be amazing as a dancer, there’s no doubt in that. All you gotta do is believe that you can.” _

Jennie’s words echoed in my head.  _ What if? _ I wondered for a minute more before taking a picture of the poster and walking away.

\--

**JENNIE POV**

I can barely keep my eyes open for class. All this running the club, Chu leaving, Chae coming out has been more draining than I thought. There’s just one good thing about these things and that is Lisa. 

God if only she knew how much she relieves my stress in the small moments we see each other. For real, that girl has some magic in her. I’m in my last class, thank God. It’s Math so I’m having twice as hard time staying awake.

“Miss Kim.” The prof calls on me sternly, dropping a book on my desk. The loud thud woke me up. “What excuse do you have now for not staying awake in my class?” He asked.

“No excuse sir, it’s just that your class is really boring,” I answered him with a tired smile.

The rest of the class chuckled at the insult and he was quick to silence them. 

“I will not tolerate anymore disrespect from you in my class Miss Kim. I suggest that you start showing me some respect,” he says quietly, enough for the both of us to hear.

“No thanks.” I snarked at him along with the bell ringing. I quickly along with the rest of the class decided to leave the room, not wanting to spend any more time dealing with a pathetic prof.

You could tell how tired I was with the way I was walking. I’d sway from time to time but quickly regain myself before anyone even noticed. As I was walking to the parking lot I began to hear some soft whimpering and crying from behind a bush somewhere. My gut told me to walk away from the possible drama awaiting me, but I’ve never been the best at listening to my gut.

“Giselle?” I questioned once I peeked through the bush. She had her knees to her chest, her eyes were red from crying and her hair was a little bit of a mess. She quickly wiped her tears away when she heard me and stood up, dusting herself.

“Oh God, Jennie. I’m- I'm fine, just go ahead, nothing to see here,” she says, forcing a smile to curl at her lips.

“What happened? Things don’t seem fine,” I questioned with a concerned look on my face.

Her smile turned into a sad one until she broke down and fell into my arms. I rubbed her back, her tears were wetting my shirt. I could tell this was a heartbreak. Having experienced one of my own I know that this is the only thing that can make someone breakdown like this.

“Hey, care to tell me what happened?” I say softly, still rubbing her back.

She pulls away taking deep breaths and sniffles. She wipes her tears and stares at the ground.

“I caught my boyfriend cheating on me.” she chuckles bitterly. “It’s our first year anniversary and I went to pick him up at the locker room only to find him all over some girl,” she adds. “God, I’m such an idiot!” she scolds herself.

“Hey, if there’s an idiot here it’s your pathetic ex. Not you.” I tell her. “I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again… men in this school are trash- correction. Boys in this school are trash.” I tell her, earning a soft chuckle from her.

There was a short pause.

“Listen, I’m on my way to Bobby’s. Do you want to come with? Maybe talk more?” I offered. “Heartbreaks can be a pain in the ass and I firmly believe no one should be going through it alone,” I added.

“You don’t have to… I know it’s a little weird for you since I’m your best friend’s ex and-”

“It’s not weird. Really, what happened between you and Chu is between you two. Besides, it’s not like you hurt her, so I’m not holding any grudge.” I tell her nonchalantly.

She thinks about it for a minute.

“I’ll even drive you home.” I pitched lightly. She smiled thinly and nodded.

We walk to my car and I open the door for her. She flashes me a smile before preparing to get in.

“Fair warning though,” I saw and she looks at me. “I am a temperamental driver and if I see your ex in the streets I might just run him over.” I jokingly say, making her laugh before she got in.

\--

“So you two just ran?” I asked, chuckling.

“Mhmm. Jisoo was so embarrassed that she grabbed my hand and ran out the cabin when the camp head saw us.” Giselle chuckled out.

We’ve been here for an hour just talking. She needed someone to listen to whatever was going on in her head and I was touched that she trusted me enough to talk with me. She’s always been cool even after she and Chu broke up. She was always nice to me and me to her.

We’ve been here for an hour, I’ve let her choose any drink from the bar to help lighten her mood. I’ll have to start setting up in a while though since we’re still opening later tonight. She was telling me about Chu’s first kiss since Chu never told me what happened after it happened. Now I know why.

“Oh wow, who knew that Jisoo, the ultimate flirt and campus crush had such a bad first kiss memory.” I laughed along with Giselle.

As our laughter died down the mood became a little more serious.

“What about you? How’s your life going? There’s a rumor going around that Jennie Kim has found someone to settle with.” she says a little teasingly.

“Ah… I guess even with everything I’m still the talk of the town.” I say impressed.

“Have you though? Are you finally getting together with someone?” she asked curiously.

I tapped the glass in my hand.

“I might. I mean, I want to. I’m trying…” I answer her. “It’s not easy for me to just give someone my heart that’s been crushed and stepped on multiple times in the past,” I added, drinking the last bit of alcohol in my glass.

“Wow… I didn’t know you were cheesy like that.” she joked. “But you should. Having someone to yourself is… something special,” she said to me.

“And what about you? You must be so hurt after what happened. How can you still believe that there’s something good waiting for you?” I asked curiously.

“My boyfriend- ex, is not the only person in the world. That being said, not everyone is the same. Some people are just messed up to be doing the hurting, but some are waiting so they can treat someone the way they should be.” she explains.

It all kind of makes sense. It’s true that not everyone is the same. I’ve seen relationships like Chu and Chae’s and I’ve seen some that just ends badly. 

“So you’d go for another shot at a relationship even if you can get hurt?” I asked.

“Jennie, love always comes with a price. Getting hurt is one of those prices, but if I can be loved and love then I’m not scared of taking that risk,” she answers.

We stayed in that comfortable silence. Giselle was finishing her drink and I was thinking about what she said. I was thrown out of my thoughts when someone came in and cleared their throat.

“Bobby,” I say getting up from my seat. “You’re back,” I state the obvious.

She wets her lips and eyes Giselle.

“Oh, uh. This is Giselle. We were…talking.” I informed her. She lifts her head up which was some kind of indication that Giselle had to go.

“Oh, would you look at the time? I better go.” Giselle said, catching on. 

“Right. I’ll drive you.” I said.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll take a cab. You and I are probably buzzed so I don’t think getting behind the wheel is best.” she says and gives me a small smile. She takes her bag and walks out.

Bobby proceeds behind the bar once she was gone and pours herself a drink.

“Hello to you. What happened? Where’ve you been these past few days?” I asked.

“Who was that?” they answered me with a question.

“I told you, Giselle. You didn’t answer my question.” I answered them.

“Did you two do anything here?” they asked, dodging my question again.

“What the hell? Of course not! We just talked. What’s gotten into you?” I ask, stopping them from drinking another glass.

They let out a frustrated groan and began walking towards the stairs to the rooms.

“Hey! What’s up? You disappear for days and then come back looking like you’ve been tortured and then not talk to me?” I said, getting frustrated myself.

“I could say the same about you. Look, take a few days off. We’ll stay closed. You should go and hang out with your friends.” they say before walking up, leaving me alone.

I followed upstairs and went to my room. I thought that I shouldn’t push Bobby if they don’t want to talk about whatever happened, but I was relieved to hear that I’d be getting a few days off. I badly needed it.

**ME** _ 5:07 p.m _

_ Lili! I have a few days off. Wanna go out? _

_ Like just hang _

_ Not a date _

_ Unless you want to go out on another date? _

**LILI🌸** _ 5:10 p.m _

_ No _

**ME** _ 5:10 p.m _

_ Oh, u busy? _

**LILI🌸** _ 11:10 p.m _

_ No _

_ Weird. _ I furrowed my brows reading Lisa’s replies. Well, they aren’t much, but something seemed off. Why is everyone off today?

**ME** _ 5:12 p.m _

_ Is everything okay? _

**LILI🌸** _ 5:12 p.m _

_ I’m busy Jennie. Stop texting me. _

Okay, something was definitely wrong.

**ME** _ 5:13 p.m _

_ Are you mad at me? _

_ Did I do something? _

I waited, but she doesn’t reply.

**ME** _ 5:18 p.m _

_ Okay, clearly something’s wrong. _

_ Can you at least tell me what I did to piss you off so I can apologize or something??? _

**LILI🌸** _ 5:18 p.m _

_ Not everything is about you. _

_ Just leave me alone. _

I scoffed reading her message. I quickly took my jacket and got in my car, driving to her house. I don’t care if she doesn’t want to see me, but she’s taking out her anger on me and I won’t have it. If she wants to let it out then she should do it right in my face.

I pulled over to her house and I got out of the car. I momentarily lost my balance, my head spun for a moment. I regained my balance and shook the dizziness off. I confidently knocked on her door and her mom answered.

“Jennie?” she questioned.

"Hi Mrs. Manoban, I was wondering if Lisa’s here?” I asked, furrowing my brows as my head started stinging again.

“No sweetie, she’s at the dance studio a block away,” she answers, pointing to the direction. “Are you okay?” she asked, concern laced in her voice. “Do you want to come inside and take a seat?” she offered.

“No, no. I’m okay. Thank you. I’ll get going.” I answered, giving her a smile. I turned and began walking. My head was really hurting now. I figured it’s because of being awake for almost 72 hours now. 

I managed to wave the whole headache with some pain killers this morning, I guess they wore off already.

The walk wasn’t supposed to feel this long, but it did. I got to the studio and walked in. There was loud music playing and I saw Lisa dancing with a choreographer.

“Just work on making your transition from the pre-chorus to the chorus. You’re an impressively fast learner Lisa, I’m surprised you didn’t come here sooner,” he said and left her to practice on her own.

She turned to the mirror and began practicing her dance. Her eyes met mine which was also looking at the mirror. My headache magically lessened when she saw me and turned.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“You weren’t answering my texts,” I said and walked closer to her.

“Clearly. I’m busy,” she said coldly.

“Okay, what did I do? What happened? Why are you being so…” I said, struggling to find the words to describe how she was acting right now. “So… jerky.” I let out, knowing it wasn’t the word I was looking for.

“You told me to join the competition, so I did. Now I’m busy working on it and I don’t have time to deal with you,” she replies, her voice still cold in comparison to her sweet one.

“You’re mad because of joining a competition?” I clarified, this whole conversation starting to hurt my head again.

“Just go home Jennie or better yet go to that girl you were with,” she says, rolling her eyes and turning back to the mirror.

_ Girl? Giselle? Is she- is she… jealous? _

“You mean Giselle?” I asked, a little confused. “How did you even know I was with her?” I asked.

“Ugh! Just leave Jennie,” she says irritated.

“No, no. Are you pissed because you’re jealous of Giselle?” I asked, stopping her from dancing.

She pulled her arm from my grasp and turned to me, her eyes had flames in them and it was definitely not in the way I thought I would see them.

“Look, I went to go see you earlier to tell you about the dance, but you were too preoccupied helping her in your car and laughing to notice me by the side. I’m not jealous Jennie, you can screw whoever you want. I’m just frustrated with myself because I actually thought you were serious about what you said.” she said in a calm, but clearly angry.

“Sounds like jealousy to me,” I remarked.

“Ugh, get over yourself.”

“I will once you get over me.”

“Wha- screw you.”

“You’re free to do so.”

She lets out an angry groan and storms out of the studio, I follow after her.

“Wait! I wasn’t serious. Lili, I’m sorry!” I yell after her.

“Leave me alone Jennie!” she says, not turning back to see me. 

“Are you not even going to let me explain why I was with her? Not that I have to but… Lili!” I say loudly as she begins walking faster.

“I don’t care what you have to say. Go home,” she says and keeps walking.

“Lili, slow down, you’re walking too fast,” I say, feeling myself running out of breath.

“Good, then you won’t catch up to me,” she says softer than the first two replies.

“Lili…” I pant out. My surroundings were starting to spin. I could feel myself swaying and my balance failing me. “Lili…” I say softly that it almost sounded like a whisper. I fell on my knees and my hands were flat on the pavement trying to steady myself.

“Jennie?” I heard Lisa call out, her voice muffled. “Jennie!” her voice got louder and I could hear her footsteps running towards me.

**LISA POV**

I kept walking, I didn’t want to talk to Jennie because clearly whatever she was going to say something I wouldn’t believe.

“Lili…” she called, I could hear her panting. If I didn’t notice her, maybe she’ll stop to catch her breath and just go home. That’s where she should be anyways, resting. I could tell she stopped to catch her breath when she didn’t call anymore. “Lili…” she said softly which made me stop. It sounded like something else.

I turned to find her on her knees, her hands on the ground.

“Jennie?” I called her. She didn’t answer instead, I saw her chest heaving. She was struggling to breathe. “Jennie!” I called even louder and ran to her. 

Why does this always happen to her? And why does it always have to be who’s panicking and scared thinking of what’s happening to her?

“Hey… uh… you need to calm down and take deep and slow breaths okay?” I tell her, unsure of what I’m doing. “Can you do that?” I asked. She doesn’t answer. “Jennie? Can you hear me?” I ask. Her hand grips my arm. I could feel her struggle. Her other hand went to her stomach before she started slowly closing her eyes.

_ Crap. _

\--

I was sitting by Jennie’s bedside at the hospital. She passed out on the sidewalk and I had to call my dad to drive us to the hospital. Seriously this was getting worse every time it happened.

“Ow,” Jennie groaned as she stirred awake. I suddenly and unexpectedly went to hug her. “Uh… did I die? Am I in heaven for you to be hugging me this tight?” she asked playfully.

“You idiot!” I scolded her, hitting her arm.

“Ow!” she whined. “What was that for?” she asked.

“That was for passing out while trying to catch up to me. What kind of stupidity do you have to keep chasing me when you knew you were out of breath?” I scolded a little loudly. “You scared the shit out of me!” I hissed.

She slowly sat up and groaned while doing so. 

“I passed out huh…” she says, remembering what happened. “And you brought me here,” she looks around. “To the hospital… because you were scared of what might’ve happened to me… because you cared… because you like me?” she said. She sounded like her usual self. I would have reacted differently if she didn’t actually scare me.

I hit her arm again, earning another whine from her.

“After everything I said that’s your take away?” I asked. “You’re unbelievable,” I say and roll my eyes. “You should’ve stayed at home and rested,” I told her.

At that moment a doctor came to check on her.

“Oh, you’re awake,” he says. 

“Yup, and I’m all set to go.” Jennie answers.

“No, you’re not,” I tell her. “Is something wrong with her?” I asked, turning to the doctor.

“We ran some tests as requested, there is absolutely nothing wrong with her. You said that she’s been working these past few days. Our guess is she just overworked herself and didn’t get enough rest.” he said.

“What about her always running out of breath?” I asked. “She’s said it’s been happening since she was a kid,” I added.

“Oh, there’s nothing to worry about. It’s normal for some people. It has something to do with her lung capacity. Basically, she just has a low lung capacity so her stamina isn’t as great as everyone else’s. Her tiredness must’ve added to it which is why she passed out. In normal cases, she should just take a breather, sit down or stop for a minute.” he explains. “She’s good to go as well, you can take her home and I advise resting for a day or two,” he said before walking out on us. 

I let out a relieved sigh.

“So…” Jennie said, making me turn to her. “Can I get out of bed now?” she asked.

“I stepped aside and let her sit on the edge of the bed. I watch her, prepared to catch her if she ever lost her balance again.

“We just talked Lili,” she suddenly said.

“What?” I asked, confused.

“Giselle caught her boyfriend being a dick. I found her crying at the parking lot. I invited her to drink at the bar because I knew she needed someone to talk to. We didn’t do anything but talk.” she explained. “Don’t worry, I’m not mad. I get why you would think that we did something,” she says and gives me a small smile.

In a way, I felt kind of guilty for acting the way I did earlier. I knew it also played a part in why Jennie fainted.

“You don’t have to explain yourself,” I tell her quietly.

“But I do. I know it’s all a big deal because you’re choosing to trust me and I know it won’t be easy to do that given my past… but I want you to know that everything that I tell you is true. Not once have I lied to you Lili and I’m not going to.” she says. “It’ll take time and you’ve been really great with understanding why I don’t open up easily, now it’s my turn to do so. I know giving me your full trust is hard, and I understand that I’ll have to earn it. If I have to assure you that someone is just a friend, then I will. If I have to stop being too close with them then I will. That’s how serious I am with you, Lili. Don’t doubt my feelings for you.” she adds, looking deeply into my eyes.

Her words touched me. I wasn’t expecting to hear it from her, herself but I did. This whole thing between us was taking time and we were both slowly opening ourselves up to each other. It’s a struggle, but we’re both trying and right now that’s a big thing.

"So you have feelings for me," I lightly said. She tensed up when she realized she said it.

"I- I might..." she answers a little nervously.

“I’m sorry for lashing out at you,” I say and sit beside her.

“It’s okay. Jealousy looks kind of hot on you.” she lied jokingly. I bump her lightly, making us both chuckle. “Are we still okay or can’t I ask you for another date?” she asked.

I let out a breath and looked at her.

“We’re okay. But we can’t go out on another date for a while, remember?” I reminded her.

“Right…” she mumbles. “I’ll just join you during dance practices then.” she suggests.

“You don’t have to. It’ll probably last for a while and besides, you need to rest.” I tell her.

“I’ll rest, but after I’ll join you. I told you that I’d help you. Also because your choreographer is threateningly hot and I don’t feel comfortable leaving you with my competition.” she jokes.

I chuckle at her comment.

“Shut up! He’s way too old for me and he's gay.” I tell her.

“Okay, what about me? I’m a year older than you and I'm pretty sure you're the only one I'm into right now.” she asks playfully.

“You’re fine… people will think that I’m older anyway since I’m taller by a lot.” I joked.

“Ouch. Low blow Lili.” she chuckles out. “No, but seriously… I want to know… because I really want to date you. Like date you, date you.” she said. I could hear the sincerity in her voice. 

A part of me was saying that I should turn her down, but another part said to take the risk. Neither of us is perfect and we’re probably going to be so lost in the midst of all this… but I know Jennie won’t hurt me. 

“Dating requires for us to go on more than one date… you’re going to have to take me out again,” I tell her.

She smiles.  _ Yup, we’re actually doing this. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys like it? Jenlisa dating👀 We'll cover Chaesoo in the next chapter along with what Jennie has planned for her next date with Lisa😏 I'll give you guys something nice and fluffy to make up for the angst😌


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wasn't supposed to update till next week, but I know we've gotten pretty shaken up from the news. It's no longer about ships, it's about how our girl's privacy was invaded and I hope we're all there for her. Leave her positive messages and please don't fight with other people. This chapter is something I hope that can help all of us feel a little better... I hope it helps you guys and I hope you're all still taking care of yourselves. Drink water and eat okay? I hope you enjoy! ❤️
> 
> P.S I suggest listening to I See The Light at one part of this chapter and to KAMU (Kiss and Make Up) at another. Enjoy!
> 
> P.P.S I am not upset with whoever is dating who, I am upset because someone's privacy was invaded and I hope you understand that me continuing this fic is not forcing a ship, but only serving as a "stress reliever" and an escape from the reality we're living in. Again, I hope you guys are doing well, enjoy.

**JISOO PO**

I walked out of my room with Chaeyoung still soundly sleeping. It was the end of the week and Fridays only required us to go to school from 9 am to 12 pm. Chae has been staying with me since the talent showcase and my mornings could not have been better. Waking up next to her every day and falling asleep beside her was like a dream that I didn’t want to wake up from. 

I headed downstairs to have my breakfast, I’m sure my parents already went to work or something. I still haven’t told Chaeng about my dad and the whole flying to Korea thing, but I will… once I figure out what I’m going to do first.

“Good morning Miss Kim,” Jennie greets playfully, sitting at the dining table. She came over yesterday to sleepover. She demanded that since she’s my best friend she needs to have a sleepover at my place. And who am I to say no to her?

“You’re up early,” I remark and sit with her.

“Yeah, I didn’t get much sleep. Fun fact, I found out that the walls in this house are not as thick as I thought. Mind toning it down a little when you and Chaeyoung are doing the nasty because listening to her moaning is not what I want to hear before I fall asleep.” she said with a disgusted look on her face. 

“What can I say, I drive her crazy sometimes,” I say with a smug look. She shudders, probably uncomfortable and disgusted about it, but it’s fine. It’s Jennie, boundaries are nothing to us. We once went to a sauna and became naked buddies so boundaries are something that’s foreign in our friendship.

“You two need holy water,” she says.

“Like you didn’t hook up with half the people in our class,” I say, rolling my eyes. I got up and made myself some breakfast.

“Yeah, yeah. Hey, did you talk to Chaeyoung about your dad yet?” she asked.

“Uh, no. Not yet.” I answer her, bringing the bowl of cereal back to the table and sitting. “There’s no rush to it, we have enough time…” I added, taking a spoonful of cereal and eating.

“You have three months…” she says softly. “Do you know what you’re going to choose?” she asked.

I stopped eating. I looked at her and she understood.

“Right… well, if you need any help, I’m right here,” she says and smiles at me.

“Good morning,” a sweet and tired voice said from the side. Chae came into the kitchen wearing one of my shirts. She sat on my lap and gave me a quick kiss. “Ooh, cereal,” she says before taking the spoon from me and eating my cereal. I chuckle at her.

“You two look so disgustingly cute right now,” Jennie remarks.

“Maybe if you invited Lisa you could be looking like us right now,” Chae teased and smirked. “Chu tells me that you two are dating already,” she wriggles her eyebrows.

Jennie gave me a look and I shrugged my shoulders.

“Lisa and I aren’t dating… yet. Don’t get too excited or you’ll jinx it,” Jennie replies. Her phone suddenly chimes and she quickly checks it, smiling as she read the notification.

“Yeah… you’re not dating yet but you’re whipped as hell,” I teased. She playfully glared at me before leaving the kitchen to Chae and me. “So, how was your sleep princess?” I asked Chae, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Lovely, though I would like to wake up with you beside me,” she said with a small pout. I chuckled again at her cuteness.

“Alright, next time I’ll wake up with you,” I assured her. “Do you want to go to the mall later? Alice dropped off your things and I kinda want to spoil you,” I said, resting my head on her.

“Hmm.. don’t we have school?” she asked.

“We can go after,” I reply.

“Perfect!” she says excitedly and moves so now she’s straddling me. She kisses me passionately and I smile into it.

“I don’t hear any more talking! You two better not be making out while I’m here!” we hear Jennie yell from the other room.

“Babe, I love Jennie, but she has to go,” Chae says playfully after she pulls away.

We both share a laugh and she mounts off me.

\--

**JENNIE POV**

I cannot believe that Chu threw me out of the house before lunch. Rude. I changed there so I was all set to go to school. I drove to the establishment arriving an a couple of minutes early before the intended time. The first place I went to after parking my car was the music room. No one was there so I felt like it was all good to spend my time there before classes started.

You’re probably wondering what I’m doing here. To be honest, this is one of my favorite places in school, not that anyone knows. We all have to keep a little part of ourselves a secret and this was mine. I’ve always loved singing. It’s been something that I enjoy while growing up. I sing whenever I’m happy or sad or angry. It’s like an escape. 

I don’t really want to tell anyone about it since it’s something that I feel like is for myself. I picked up the guitar from the stand, I’ve been practicing for a while now but I can’t do it everyday since people will always wonder why I’m here and end up ruining my favorite place. I placed my hands on the string and began playing.

_ You don’t know, babe _

_ When you hold me _

_ And kiss me slowly _

_ It’s the sweetest thing _

I began to sing as my hands naturally played with the strings. It was so stress relieving. Just me and the guitar making beautiful music and damn yeah I know how good I am at singing.

_ I just wanna see _

_ I just wanna see how beautiful you are _

_ You know that I see it _

_ I know you’re a star _

_ Where you go I follow _

_ No matter how far _

_ If life is a movie _

_ Oh you’re the best part, ooh ooh ooh _

_ You’re the best part, ooh ooh ooh _

_ Best part… _

My eyes were closed as I sang the chorus. It was funny how in my head the memory of my date with Lisa was playing. I guess this song reminds me of her. I start to slowly smile while singing, thinking about how she looked so beautiful under the sun during that picnic. I remember her laughing at some ridiculous joke I made which made my heart flutter at the sound.

I continued singing another verse before I heard someone clapping which made me open my eyes.

“Lisa,” I say, surprised to see her standing a few feet away from me, smiling and clapping. My eyes widened realizing she saw and heard me. I quickly put the guitar away. If someone else was the one who came in I would’ve already yelled their heads off, but with Lisa… I couldn’t be mad even a little bit. I mean, it’s not her fault, right? I was the one singing.

“Wow, I didn’t know you had such a lovely voice,” she said, her smile never fading. “Please tell me you didn’t stop because I came in,” she added.

“What? Uh, no. I was done anyway. Plus, I was just messing around.” I say, rubbing my hands on my jeans. “Y- you’re early. School doesn’t start in a couple more minutes.” I tell her, filling in what could be an awkward silence between us.

“Yeah, I was thinking of getting some practice in before school, but the studio isn’t opened yet so I thought I’d practice here. The dance studio upstairs is locked so this was my last option,” she answers.

“Oh, okay then. I’ll just leave you to it.” I say and quickly pick up my bag. 

“No, wait,” she says and stops me, stepping closer to stop my hand. “I don’t want you to go…” she says quietly. “Can you continue playing?” she asked.

I furrowed my brows.

“I don’t play for anyone. I’m not that good, maybe you can ask Chaeyoung later if she ever comes to school.” I reply.

“You were just playing a few seconds ago and you sounded great. Come on, for me?” she said and batted her eyes at me. My heart skipped about 10 beats and I felt like I was having some kind of cardiac arrest with how I felt it trying to escape my body. I inhaled after a while, not realizing I was holding my breath. She kept looking at me with those sweet brown orbs and I felt the need to comply.  _ Whipped. _

I put my bag away and took the guitar from the stand again. I sat down and she sat beside me. She quickly pulled out her phone and showed me some chords and that was pretty basic and were within my range.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I sigh while shaking my head. She smiles more and I begin playing.

_ All those days watching from windows _

_ All those years outside looking in _

_ All that time never even knowing _

_ Just how blind I’ve been _

_ Now I’m here, blinking in the starlight _

_ Now I’m here suddenly I see _

_ Standing here, it’s all so clear _

_ I’m where I’m meant to be _

I began to sing, not sure why I even sang in the first place. I honestly thought it would be Lisa who was going to sing, but her eyes hinted that she wanted to hear me sing. I continued on to the chorus and prepared to sing the next verse, but I was surprised when she came in.

_ All those days, chasing down a daydream _

_ All those years living in a blur _

_ All that time never truly seeing things the way they were _

I suddenly looked at her, her eyes were fixed on the lyrics, focusing on singing. I felt my heart beating faster than it was a second ago, how can someone sound so perfect?

_ Now she’s here shining in the starlight _

_ Now she’s here suddenly I know _

_ If she’s here, it’s crystal clear _

_ I’m where I’m meant to go _

She continues. As she finishes, her eyes drift away from the screen and land on my own. I continued to play as I joined her unconsciously as we sang the chorus together.

_ And at last, I see the light _

_ And it’s like the fog has lifted _

_ And at last, I see the light _

_ And it’s like the sky is new _

_ And it’s warm and real and bright _

_ And the world has somehow shifted _

_ All at once, everything looks different _

_ Now that I see you… _

We sing as the guitar slowly starts to fade. At this moment I knew. I knew that I'd fallen for her. Her eyes, her lips, her smile… the way she laughs, the way she rolls her eyes at me, the way she makes me feel like it’s okay to let my guard down… I’ve fallen for all of her.

The air between us is now silent, but the tension was high. We were both slowly leaning into each other, our faces so close that if I just let myself completely go I’ll be able to meet my lips with hers.

We were so close to kissing… if only that stupid bell didn’t ring. Both of us gasped and pulled away.

“I- I should go,” I say and return the guitar back to the stand. “See you later Lili!” I bid her waving my hand too violently before walking out the room.

_ Stupid bell! Stupid bell! Stupid bell! _

**LISA POV**

_ And it’s warm and real and bright _

_ And the world has somehow shifted _

_ All at once, everything looks different _

_ Now that I see you… _

Jennie and I sing together. The guitar slowly stops playing and we’re looking into each other’s eyes. I see something appear in hers, but I can’t quite name it. We’re slowly leaning into each other. I can’t believe I’m doing this again. My heart beats madly like it’s trying to escape.

I felt this warm feeling, it’s something that I’ve been getting while I’m around Jennie. Somehow she makes me feel all sorts of new things when I’m with her. I know it might be a little too soon to really know considering we’ve been on one date, but I think I’m actually falling for her…

So close yet so far, we were there, our lips were about to touch… that stupid bell ruined it.

“I- I should go,” Jennie says after we both pulled away a little surprised from the ringing. “See you later Lili!” she says loudly and waves at me.

I sigh once I’m sitting alone in the room. Was that really about to happen?

\--

“So you kissed?” Chaeyoung asked as we walked to class.

“Almost.” I corrected her. “The bell rang before anything could happen,” I explained.

“Oof, sorry,” she says.

“Why? Is it something to be sorry about? Don’t you think we were kind of going a little too fast?” I asked.

“Too fas- girl, you two obviously like each other...  **A LOT** and you’ve been moving at the pace my grandmother was… actually no. I think my grandmother moved way faster than you.” she said somewhat teasingly.

I bumped her lightly.

“I just don’t want to rush into things since we’ve only gone out once and I don’t want to risk getting hurt,” I tell her as we enter the classroom and take our seat.

“Knock knock, if you still haven’t noticed, Jennie is madly into you and there is no way in hell she will hurt you, at least not purposely,” she said. “Come on Lisa, take a chance. You’re going to regret not doing it sooner,” she added, taking out her phone, probably texting Jisoo.

I thought about it as class began. Even though the teacher was already teaching, I wasn’t paying attention. My mind was still on what happened earlier. I was looking out into nothing, just thinking. 

“Hey, pst,” Chaeyoung called from the desk beside me. “Will your mom and dad let you disappear for the weekend?” she asked. I furrowed my brows, confused with her question.

“What?” I asked her, totally out of it.

“Jisoo asked if you wanted to come hang out with us at her parent’s beach house. It’s really not far. Just an hour and a half from your house.” she said.

“I’m not sure… I’ve been coming home late these past few days-”

“We’ll only be at the beach. No boys, just us girls,” she says, obviously there weren’t going to be any boys. She had this look that was insisting that I went as though she needed me to come with them.

“Uh… I don’t know… maybe you could ask them for me?” I replied, unsure.

“Okay, I’ll tell Chu you said yes,” she said proudly and began typing on her phone which was hidden under her desk. She looked like she just accomplished something, but I didn’t pay much attention to it since it’s Chaeyoung.

\--

“Where is this beach house again?” my dad asked while sitting on the couch. Chaeyoung came home with me to ask my parents if I could join her and Jisoo on a small weekend at her parents' beach house.

“Just by the beach sir. About ten minutes away from the docks. We won’t be going anywhere except for the house and swimming. There also won’t be anyone else there except us.” Chae answered.

“And do you have chaperones?” he continued to ask for the details.

“Mm… not that I know of, but there are helpers around the house so technically there will still be some kind of supervision,” she replied, pursing her lips.

My dad let out a breath and I thought he would say no, but he started nodding.

“Alright. She can go. But please give me the full details like who’s going to be there, what time you’re leaving, the contact information of everyone we can call in case of emergencies and the names of the helpers that are going to be there.” he said.

“Will do! Thank you Mr. Manoban.” Chae said cheerfully. I tried to hide my excitement, keep it subtle since I didn’t want to jinx this, and have my dad suddenly change his mind.

Chaeyoung stayed with us a little more, chatting with my dad about school stuff and about her coming out. He was really supportive of her, making her feel like she meant the world and that it was okay to be her, at times she would tear up, but the tears never got out. I could tell she appreciated having someone tell her that. 

Jisoo, Jennie, and I have been trying our best to make her feel loved and all, but it’s understandable that it won’t be the same as hearing it from her parents.

“So, I’ll pick you up tonight. We’ll have dinner at one of the seafood restaurants on the beach then call it a night, or we could take walks after. The activities start tomorrow. We’ll go for a morning swim, then we’ll visit the fair and then go biking. On Sunday we’ll go jet skiing and then around lunchtime we’ll come home.” Chae explained to me the itinerary as I walked her to the door. “Don’t forget your swimsuit okay?” she added as she stepped out the door.

“Yes mom, I’ll be sure to make a checklist before packing.” I playfully tell her.

“Ha ha. Very funny. See you later?” she said.

I nodded and she waved me goodbye. I closed the door and went to my room to make a checklist and pack.

**JENNIE POV**

“Remind me again why I agreed to go on this whole trip?” I asked Jisoo while driving to the beach house.

“Because, Jennie Ruby Jane Kim, you are my best friend and I think it’s time for me to step in and do my job. Plus, Chaeyoung and I have been planning a weekend getaway together or a while now. It’s obvious that all of us need the break. We’ve all been going through drama for the past few weeks and we need to unwind or else we‘re all going to end up losing our minds.” she answered lightly while applying some lip tint.

“And what exactly is your job as my best friend?” I asked.

“Simple. Help you get your life together,” she answered with a smirk on her face.

We arrived at the beach house after a while. I only brought two bags with me. One for my things and something I’m going to be using later. We entered the house and it looked too simple for Jisoo’s life.

“My mom designed the whole place. She wanted it to look like something simple so we could enjoy the simplicity of life,” she said, noticing how my eyes roamed around the place. Sure, Chu’s my friend, but I’ve always seen her as someone who was down to earth and wouldn’t brag about her wealth - her parents’ wealth. This is why sometimes I forget how rich she is.

“Why don’t you put the bag down there. I’ll go check on the rooms to make sure everything’s good and ready. Chae should be here in a minute. She just went to pick something up.” she added before walking upstairs to the rooms.

I roamed around the living room, just looking at things. There were some picture frames of Jisoo and her parents. Most of them were when she was a kid, I guess they haven’t vacationed much since then. I saw a car pull up in front of the house. Chaeyoung stepped out and I followed her to help with the bags. 

You should’ve seen my face when I saw Lisa come out after her.

“Lisa, I didn’t know you were going to be here,” I said, my cheeks getting warmer.

“Hi,” she greets. “I didn’t know you were either,” she said and we both looked to Chaeyoung.

“Oops?” she said, the guilt obvious in her face.  _ So this is what Chu was helping me with. Smart.  _ “Can you two be upset for us not telling you later and help me with these bags?” she added, making both Lisa and I move.

We carry the bags inside and Chu was already making her way down the stairs.

“Great! You guys are here!” she says and Chae runs to give her a kiss.

Lisa and I looked at each other, a little giddy from seeing our friends being all sweet. I blushed when I remembered how Lisa and I almost kissed today so I had to look away from her.

“You guys wanna grab dinner?” Chu asked.

“Can we put these in our rooms first? I also kind of wanna freshen up.” Lisa said. Jisoo nodded and we followed her upstairs. 

“This one’s Chaeng and my room. It’s smaller since this was technically my room when I was a kid whenever I came here,” she said, pointing to the first room by the stairs. “This one,” she says, pointing at another room beside the one by the stairs. “This is my parents. They said we could stay here, but this room’s off-limits,” she told us. We continue walking to the room at the end of the hall. “This is the guest room,” she opens the door and there’s one bed in the middle. “This is where you’ll be staying.” she finished.

“Who?” I asked.

“Both of you,” she replied, making both Lisa and I shoot our heads towards her.

“What?” Lisa asked.

“You’re kidding right?” I asked. “Lisa and I can’t share one room,” I tell her sternly. “Not that I have anything against it but- just- we can’t.” I ramble.

“Sorry, but this is the only room that’s good to use in the house,” Chu said, shrugging her shoulders. Lisa and I both sigh.

“It’s fine,” she says before walking in and placing her bag on the bed.

I pulled Jisoo and Chaeyoung to the side, away from earshot.

“You two are so dead. First, you hide the fact that she’s joining us for the weekend and now you’re making us share a room.” I tell them.

“Oh, please. You’ve been dreaming about this day since you met her.” Chu said teasingly.

“You’ll thank us later,” Chae added.

I gave them a sarcastic laugh before following Lisa into the room. I didn’t bother to close the door since I don’t want to make Lili feel uncomfortable. We both quietly fixed our things. It was so awkward.

“I’ll let you take the bed.” I suddenly say, breaking the silence. “I can sleep on the couch so you don’t have to feel uncomfortable or something,” I said lightly, flashing her a smile after.

“You don’t have to do that, I can take the couch,” she replies, smiling back, her cheeks blushing a little.

“No, it’s fine. I can take the couch.” I rejected her reply.

“No, really I should take it.” she insisted.

“No one is taking the couch!” we hear Jisoo yell from the hall. We both chuckled at our insane friend.

“I guess we’ll just have to figure things out huh?” Lisa said. I nodded and she went to the bathroom to freshen up.

\--

We were having dinner at the same restaurant that I went to with my mom the night she told me about Derek. I honestly haven’t been here since that night, but it’s not like I’m ruining tonight for anyone. We take our seats and we begin to order, Chaeyoung being the one who ordered the most.

“Jeez Chae, you’re not dying tomorrow. How hungry are you?” I asked playfully.

“I haven’t had seafood in a while, I intend to eat as much as I can,” she says proudly.

“I’m used to it, the last time we ate at a restaurant I ended up paying hundreds, but of course anything to satisfy my little chipmunk,” Jisoo spoke, we all chuckled and I felt like the night won’t be as heavy as I thought.

Our food arrived a couple of minutes later, Chaeyoung was already halfway through her first dish while I wasn’t close to beginning. Lisa and I would occasionally glance at each other and smile. I kept wondering if it was because of what happened earlier.

“So, graduation’s coming up. You guys still staying at the school?” Jisoo asked. I obviously knew that there was a possibility that I won’t be seeing her as much after graduation considering the situation with her dad.

“Uh… I don’t know. I kind of want to stay but… I don’t know.” I answered.

“It depends. I joined the school dance competition and it said that there were going to be college scouts. I checked the schools that will be attending and some of them offer senior year education so if I get scouted, I might transfer… or not.” Lisa answered.

Her answer somehow stung me.  _ She’s leaving… so much for “I’m here for you”. _

“That’s good for you Lis. I’m so happy for you.” Chae said, making me roll my eyes. I saw Jisoo watching and she raised a brow, I just shook my head.

“What about you Chae? What’s your plan?” I asked trying to remove the attention from me.

“Oh me? I’m thinking of applying for a scholarship at the school then I’m building my portfolio for Harvard,” she answered proudly. “Alice went there and she said it was really the perfect place for studying law so I’m following after her,” she added.

I looked at Jisoo this time. Her face showed nothing but uncertainty regarding the topic.

“What about you Jisoo?” Lisa asked.

“I’m graduating senior year this year,” she answered. “I’m smarter than you think Manoban,” Jisoo smirked.

“Any plans after? Like college or something?” she asked.

Jisoo opened her mouth but nothing came out. 

“Come on, she’s like a year older than us, she doesn’t have to go to college,” I answer for her. She smiled at me as thanks and I winked at her, making her shake her head. 

We continued eating for an hour, Chaeng cleaned her plate along with the other plates of food that were served to us.

“You guys good to go?” Jisoo asked after paying for the food.

“Yup, just give me a minute. I gotta go to the bathroom.” Chae said.

“Ooh, I’ll come with,” Lisa chimed and stood up and went with Chae.

“Okay, before you say anything, I’m telling her tonight,” Chu said. “I already made a decision, so don’t worry about it,” she added.

“Hey, I wasn’t going to say anything,” I said, raising both my hands up. “But… out of curiosity, what’ve you decide on?” I asked.

\--

**CHAEYOUNG POV**

Jisoo and I were holding hands while we were walking back to the house. Jennie and Lisa were behind us. They’ve been so quiet with each other since we got here and Chu and I thought those two were fighting o something, but I guess it just has something to do with what happened earlier.

“Hey,” Chu called my attention, squeezing my hand gently. “Do you think we could talk once we get back?” she asked.

I nodded with a soft smile. Usually when she asks like that it’s something serious. I know that it’s nothing I have to worry about. 

We get to the house and we turn to the not-so-official couple.

“So, you two heading upstairs?” I asked, Chu wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

“I’m staying down here for a while,” Jennie replied. “I’ve got something I wanna do first,” she added. 

“I’m going to get ready for bed,” Lisa said. 

“Well, we’re heading upstairs. Just knock if you need anything.” Jisoo said, sharing a look with Jennie so I knew something was up. The brunette flashed me a smile and Chu lead me to the room.

Once the door was closed I started getting nervous. It seemed really serious. I sit on the edge of the bed waiting for her to talk.

“I’m going to tell you something, but I don’t want you to react until I’m done,” she says, following me to sit on the bed too.

“You’re not breaking up with me again are you?” I playfully ask to make the mood a little bit lighter.

“No, never again,” she said, chuckling a little. “I… my dad…” she struggled to get the words out. I instantly took her hand and squeezed it gently to let her know it’s okay to tell me. She took a deep breath and exhaled. “My dad has cancer… it’s the reason why he’s here.” she finally let out. My lips parted at the news, I wanted to hug her but I knew she wasn’t done. “He wants me to go to Korea after graduation because he wants me to take care of the company once he’s gone. I’ll be doing apprenticeship under his partners so when he’s… gone, I’ll be able to take over the company.” she continued to explain.

I felt heaviness dawn on my chest.  _ Am I going to lose her? Can we do long-distance? Are we going to be okay? _

“But I don’t want you to worry.” she cuts off my thoughts. “I’m not going,” she says. I furrowed my brows.

“But your dad-”

“I love him… but he and my mom haven’t been parents to me since they put the business before me. I love him, but I’m choosing you,” she said wholeheartedly. I felt both relieved and guilty for her choice. 

“I don’t want you making rash decisions about this babe… I don’t want you to regret anything in the future.” I told her. “I don’t want the day to come for you to resent either me or yourself for not choosing your dad,” I told her, using my free hand to cup her cheek.

“I know that, and I love that even at times like these you choose to be the one who steps aside for someone to get their happiness. Before I ever started with this whole dating thing, I promised myself that I would never turn out like my parents. I’ll never choose work and money over love. That’s what I’m doing now.” she said, holding my hand that was on her cheek.

I smiled softly at her. This was something big and not taken lightly. I nodded at her choice.

“You can always change your mind okay? I won’t get mad, I won’t break up with you, I’ll be here through every step of the way.” I told her in an assuring tone. She kissed my hand and smiled. “Can I ask how you’re doing with the news about your dad?” I asked her.

“He’s seeing the best doctors he can. They’re still hoping that they’ll find a way around this, but the answer is all the same. It’s actually kind of funny how he’s still thinking of work even right now. I guess I feel sad, but since I never got to spend time with them…”

“Don’t think like that. He’s your dad. I know it’s hitting you in some way. It may not show now, but I’m here for you, okay?” I told her. She nods and we end the conversation with a hug.

\--

**LISA POV**

_ Shower, done. Pj’s, done. Text daddy that I’m okay and not taken to some old bunker, done.  _ I was lying in bed, remembering everything that I had to do before sleeping. It was around 11 already and I was kind of tired from the day. Not much from the activities, but mostly from the talking with Chae and Chu and the trying not to freak out about sharing a room with Jennie.

I tossed and turned while lying down. I couldn’t sleep… or maybe I was just waiting for Jennie to come up? I keep the same process up for another 30 minutes before deciding that Jennie’s been downstairs for too long.  _ Maybe she slept on the couch? _

I got out of bed and brought a blanket with me just in case she did fall asleep on the couch. When I got downstairs there was no one. I looked in the kitchen and checked the couch twice, but she wasn’t there. I stepped out to the porch to look for her and there I saw her on the sand, looking through a telescope.

I went down to join her, curious at what she was doing at this hour. 

“Hey,” I called her unsure. There was a blanket laid down on the sand. “What are you doing here?” I asked her once I reached her. She moved slightly away from the telescope and turned her attention to me.

“I was looking at the stars,” she answered. “What about you? It’s late, shouldn’t you be upstairs?” she answered.

“I got a little worried… you’ve been gone for a while, I thought you took my spot on the couch,” I answered jokingly. She chuckled and looked back into the telescope. I watched her for a while until she pulled away again.

“You wanna look?” she offered, stepping aside. I pursed my lips and nodded. I moved to see whatever star she was looking at. “Wow, the moon looks really pretty,” I say. She started to laugh and I pulled away to look at her with furrowed brows. “What?” I asked her.

“It’s not the moon silly. That’s Venus,” she tells me. “The moon,” she began and moved the telescope a little. “Is right here,” she said without even looking into the telescope. I checked and saw how different the two looked. 

“Oh, my bad,” I said a little embarrassed. 

She lied down on the blanket and I followed her. We were lying next to each other in comfortable silence. I looked over to her and saw how the stars shined in her eyes. I couldn’t bring myself to tear my gaze away from her, to do so felt like a crime.

“My dad used to take me stargazing,” she said. “It’s why I love the observatory so much. We used to come here to look at the stars, watch meteor showers, and just watch some pretty damn amazing sights happen. I was here during the eclipse and when Halley’s comet passed by.” she continued. “Over time, I fell in love with the stars. It wasn’t about who I was with anymore, it was like I had a connection to those ball of gasses in space,” she said, chuckling softly at the end.

“I feel like looking at the stars made me realize that I’m smaller than a speck of dust in comparison to everything that’s out there.” she went on. “But, I can’t help and think that I’m also meant for something big. I know looking at the stars is somehow supposed to humble you, but I just know that there’s something out there for me other than this crappy life I’ve been living,” she said and turned to me. “Don’t you think so?” she asked softly.

I nodded softly, now looking into those eyes that outshined the entire galaxy.

“Listen, about today… I know it was kind of awkward between us and all… I’m guessing it was because of the kiss- almost kiss this morning?” she said, bringing me back to reality. “I just wanted you to know that I wouldn’t have gone for it if you asked me to stop. I know that we’re taking our time with things and technically we aren’t dating yet since I still owe you that one date, but I respect your boundaries. If you’re not ready for that yet then I won’t go there.” she said.

I felt warmth wash over me. I never doubted the fact that Jennie respected me, but for her to say it out loud made me feel more secure and safe with her. 

“I know…” I told her quietly. She smiled at me and turned back to the night sky. I followed her gaze. 

We spent the rest of the night talking about the stars, but my thoughts were definitely just on her. We fell asleep at some point, not even realizing it.

**JISOO POV**

I woke up earlier than expected. Chaeng was still sleeping and moved to get out of bed.

“I told you I want to wake up beside you,” Chaeng says, eyes closed and voice hoarse. I chuckled at her.

“Then wake up early,” I joked. I kissed her and pulled away immediately. “I’m just going to have breakfast prepared then I’ll be right back okay?” I told her. She nodded tiredly. 

I went downstairs and saw that one of the helpers had finally arrived. They were already frying some eggs and making some toast. I smiled at them and proceeded to get water out of the fridge.

“Ma’am, there are two girls sleeping outside. I didn’t shoo them away. They have a telescope set up, maybe they were stargazing. Just tell me and I’ll wake them up.” they said.

I furrowed my brows while drinking water.

“No, I’ll see to them. Could you make some extra food though? My girlfriend loves breakfast. Also, coffee with just enough cream and make some bacon too, I’m sure Jennie’s going to enjoy them.” I told them.

I went outside and couldn’t help but laugh at what saw.  _ I swear these two are helpless.  _ I walked to Jennie and Lisa who was fast asleep on a blanket. They were facing each other, tempting me to just push their faces together to make them kiss. 

I quietly rushed upstairs and took my phone, possibly stirring Chaeng awake. I went back to Jennie and Lisa and snapped a quick photo of them sleeping. I folded my arms and laughed. 

“You know, you two could’ve just slept on the bed if you were planning on sleeping together like this,” I said loudly, waking them up. “At least sleeping there will be soft and you won’t have passer-by's laugh at you,” I added.

Both of them sat up and rubbed their eyes. Jennie was the first one to come to the world of the awake and looked around.

“We must've fallen asleep while stargazing,” she said tiredly. “Is it late already?” she asked. Jennie usually slept in.

“No, but it is time for breakfast and for you to get ready. We’re swimming remember?” I told them. Lisa finally came to it and got up to stretch. Her shirt went up a little revealing a fraction of her toned stomach. I saw Jennie become fully awake at the sight. Her eyes widened and she quickly looked away.  _ Cute. _

“You two go ahead, I’ll just clear up the telescope and I’ll be right inside,” Jennie said, facing away from Lisa and me, tending to the telescope, probably hiding her blush.

Lisa and I nodded quietly and proceeded inside. The blonde went to her room and closed the door I went back to Chaeng who was now rubbing her eyes while sitting.

“What was all the fuss about?” she asked, holding out her arms, calling for me to join her.

“Jennie and Lisa fell asleep stargazing last night,” I told her and laid my head on her legs. “Here, I took a pic,” I told her and showed her the picture of the two. She cooed at them and smiled sweetly.

“The children are growing up so fast,” she jokes and I laugh. “If they’re still not together by the end of this getaway I don’t know what will get them together,” I tell her.

\--

We were wrapping up on breakfast, Chaeng ate the most. I love her for being such a chipmunk and stuffing her cheeks till they’re full and squeezable. I watched as everyone put their utensils down.

“So what’s our plan for today?” Jennie asked.

“Swimming, then lunch, then the fair, then some free alone time,” I answered. ”You guys brought swimsuits right?” I asked. They all nodded. “Okay, just change into them then we’ll dive into the water,” I added.

I knew today was going to be quite crowded so I opted for a morning swim so that the sun won’t be shining too brightly and we won’t have to swim with too many people.

We all changed into our swimwear after breakfast. Chae and I were a matching patterned two-piece, Jennie was wearing a green fit bikini, and now we were just waiting for Lisa. 

“Guys, I’m not sure about this…” she says from the top of the stairs.

“It’s fine Lisa, I’m sure you’ll look amazing in it,” Chae assured her.

“What’d you even get her?” I asked in a hushed tone.

“She said she didn’t own a proper swimsuit so I got her the first cute thing I saw,” she replied.

Lisa walked down the stairs wearing a black two-piece, both Chae's and I’s mouths were open. She looked really hot in them. I say that as a compliment from a friend and not because I like her, don’t even think about starting drama right now. 

She continued walking down while everyone watched her. Jennie was the most stunned.

“Well?” she asked.

“Did I say you were going to look amazing? I take it back. Girl, you look hella fine.” my girlfriend said and I didn’t even bother pretending to be jealous because where was the lie?

“Ha ha. You’re just saying that cause you’re my friend.” Lisa replies, blushing a little.

“Then take it from me. You look… really… really… hot.” Jennie said slowly and a little softly, but enough for all of us to catch it. 

Lisa seemed to finally agree. I shook my head and clasped my hands together, breaking everyone from the moment. 

“We should go before my girlfriend decides to dump me for Lisa,” I said jokingly, making everyone laugh.

\--

**JENNIE POV**

“The last one in the water looks like BamBam!” I yelled and that’s how this whole swimming experience started. We would race back and forth from time to time and we’d splash around. Lisa and I cleared the air, so the awkwardness wasn’t there anymore. 

Jisoo tried to drown me twice, Chaeyoung nearly drowned while standing on 3 feet of water, Lisa kept stepping on fishes which I swore would be the reason why she doesn’t step in the water again. 

We were all panting and a little tired. We’ve been in the water for almost an hour now.

“Hey, I’m just going to go grab a drink,” Lisa said and swam back to shore. I noticed a group of guys watching her as she did. I felt a little uneasy so I opted to follow her.

“Hey, you guys I’m gonna be back,” I tell them as Chae clings onto Chu.

“Miss Lisa already?” my best friend teased.

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” I say distracted, keeping an eye on Lili. I began swimming to the shore and I could see the guys starting to approach Lisa. It only made me go faster until I finally caught up to her. “Hey baby,” I say breathless, but loud enough for the guys to hear me. Lisa quickly looked at our interlocked hands and gave me a questioning look.

“Uh, hey?” she answered confused.

“Just play along with it,” I whispered. “I told you to wait for me.” I pouted, glancing at the guys and seeing that they’ve backed away. 

“I was just going to the store to buy a drink,” Lisa replied, still confused.

“I still don’t want you leaving me behind, you know how I feel about that,” I tell her.

“I’m sorry. I won’t leave you, I promise,” she said, making me feel like it wasn’t just to play along. She said it as though she meant it. We reached the store and she asked for a drink. “Okay, care to explain what all that was about?” she asked, raising a brow at me.

“Right. There were some guys who were going to hit on you, I think.” I answered her.

“And?” she asked.

“And I did that whole thing so they’d back away,” I told her confidently.

“I could’ve just shooed them away you know?” Lisa rebutted.

“Not in that fit,” I muttered under my breath.

“What?” she asked, not catching what I said.

“Nothing. I just wanted to make sure you got to and from safely.” I told her instead. “Hurry up, I want to get back to swimming,” I said, making her roll her eyes.

“Then you shouldn’t have come with me in the first place,” she said, pinching my cheek and taking the drink that was served to her.

“So stubborn,” I said while shaking my head. 

She chuckled and we walked back to where Chu and Chae were.

\--

We finished lunch so now we were walking around the fair by the docks. It’s their last weekend here so we came at the perfect time. It was a little crowded, so we weren’t planning on staying for long.

“Why do I think that this was supposed to be a weekend date between the two of them?” Lisa asked while pointing to Chu and Chae who were being so sweet with each other.

“Because it was,” I chuckled out. “They only dragged us into it because they think we’re getting nowhere.” I added lightly.

“What? I feel hurt. We’re getting somewhere, right?” Lisa asked playfully.

We both chuckled at our ridiculousness.

“We’re getting there,” I reply. “So, the last time we were here, we were on a date and I won you a bunch of prizes-”

“A date? Uh-uh. We were just hanging out then and I didn’t like you yet.” Lisa cut me off.

“Oh, so you like me now,” I teased her, wiggling my eyebrows.

“Maybe. You’re bearable. And prizes? Really? You won me one medium-sized stuffed fish and candy. You call those prizes?” she replied jokingly.

I put a hand over my chest, pretending to be hurt by her comment. She laughed at my reaction. She took my hand into hers.

“Come on, I’ll show you what an actual prize looks like,” she said confidently and pulled me to a stand. It was a shooting game, something I’m perfect at. “You wanna play and see who can get the better prize?” she challenged. I smirked and nodded my head.

We paid the clerk and we positioned ourselves to start the game. The buzzer sounded and we started shooting. I was getting straight high scores and I noticed Lisa missing one or two, so I decided to miss a few just so she can catch up. Once the game ended we were tied.

“Dang it! Tiebreaker?” she suggested. I could only smile at how much fun she seemed to be having. The buzzer sounded again and I didn’t even realize that the game was starting already. Again, I missed a few and once the game ended, Lisa got the highest point. “Yes! Ha ha! I beat you!” she teased. I laughed at her and watched as the clerk gave her a huge unicorn as a prize. “See, this is what you call a prize,” she states proudly and hands it to me.

I take it smiling widely than I probably have ever. 

“What do you say to more games where I beat you?” she asked excitedly.

“Woah, Woah. That was just a warm-up. I’ll beat you in the other games.” I said.

“You wish!” she said and pulled me by the arm again, hopping from one stall to another.

We’ve been playing for a while now and I even lost track of where Jisoo and Chaeyoung were. We arrived at a crowded place. We passed the crowd and saw that there were people in the middle dancing. Lili got excitedly real quick and started bouncing a little.

“Okay! Anyone who can beat our twins in a dance battle gets free tickets to rides and a hundred dollars for food!” one of the dancers said confidently. Lisa and I looked at each other. I nodded at her, motioning for her to go up for the challenge. It might even be good practice for the competition. She smiled widely at me.

“We’ll do it!” she says confidently, making me jerk my head towards her when she pulled me into the dance floor with her. The people started cheering and everyone was screaming or us accepting the challenge.

The music change to a Dua Lipa song.  _ Kiss and Make Up. _

The twin guys started dancing first. I guess it’s a whole dance battle. I leaned into Lisa to tell her that I’m not ready to dance, but she looked at me with the most convincing eyes that I couldn’t disagree with, so I guess I’m dancing today.

The chorus came and the two boys busted out some pretty cool moves. As the next verse came Lisa took the lead. I waited for a while, getting used to the music, but when Lisa motioned for me to join in I just started dancing.

It was all going so smoothly, everyone was cheering. Damn Lisa was so good! The chorus came and we were doing just fine, our dances in sync with each other. 

_ How about we leave this party _

_ Cuz all I want is you up on me _

I was turned away from Lisa and she placed a hand on my shoulder. I don’t know what happened but when those two lines hit, I bent down and we were suddenly grinding on each other which made the crowd go crazy! I couldn’t hide the huge smile on my face after that.

“It seems like we have a winner!” the emcee said. He approached us and raised our hands in victory. Lisa and I concluded with a hug. We were handed a pass each and as promised a hundred dollars.

We passed the crowd with them cheering and clapping for us. We met Chu and Chae just outside.

“Oh my God! You two were amazing!” Chae exclaimed and hugged Lisa.

“I had no idea that you could bust a move like that Jen!” Jisoo added, throwing an arm over my shoulder. “Though I gotta say, grinding on each other… damn! I’ve got some moves to learn from you,” she said softly, enough for just me to hear. We both laughed and I playfully pushed her off me.

“That was like everything!” Lisa said, still filled with excitement. I gotta say, I was a little too out of breath but I didn’t want to show so Lisa won’t worry. “It felt so perfect! I- I loved it! That’s where I belong guys. I know it! No more doubting or whatever.” she said.

We all laughed at her eagerness.

“That’s what I’ve been telling you all along Lili,” I tell her, panting a little.

She looked at me with a smile. It disappeared after a moment though.

“Wait for me here,” she said and ran off. The three of us looked at each other confused. Lisa came back about a minute later with some water. “Here. Drink some water. It completely flew by my head about you getting tired easily, sorry.” she said and handed me the bottle of water. I could see the teasing looks Chae and Chu were exchanging which didn’t help stop the blush on my cheeks.

I took the water and drank some, catching my breath after.

“Alright, love birds. Don’t you think it’s time we went back? It’s starting to get dark and I don’t want any of us to catch a cold.” Chu said. I looked up at the sky and saw she was right. How did we spend the entire day here? I guess we were too caught up in having fun.

\--

“You two gonna be good? You’re not like sleeping outside again right?” Chae asked jokingly as we went up the stairs. I already finished cleaning myself up before dinner and Lisa was just still showering. 

“Yeah, we’ll be good. I was just checking out Venus last night since it was at its peak.” I answered her, chuckling softly. “You and Chu gonna be doing anything to keep Lili and I up?” I teased.

“I told you, we behave!” she replied, bumping me slightly.

“Alright, alright. I’ll see you tomorrow?” I asked and she nodded. “Night wifey,” I said.

“Night hubby!” she replied, giving me a playful flying kiss as we parted ways.

I got in the room and closed the door behind me. The room was empty so Lisa must still be showering. I decided to clean up a little and get everything all set for when Lisa and I are going to sleep. I laid down a blanket and took a pillow and put them on the floor. Lili should get the bed since she’s probably more tired.

As I was cleaning up I heard a notification and took the phone that chimed from the nightstand. I realized it was Lisa’s so I thought to put it back. It took a little longer though since I got distracted by her lock screen. It was a picture of her and her parents when she was younger. Her dad was hugging her and her mom and smiling with them. She looked like she was laughing and I thought it was sweet.

“Jennie?” Lisa called from behind and I turned suddenly, startled a little. I was more shocked to see her covered with nothing but a towel. My eyes widened and I turned away quickly, trying to look at anything but her.

“Uh, your phone, notification. I checked to see if it was mine, but it was yours so I was gonna put it back and then you came out, and then I shouldn’t- I won’t move unless you say it’s okay to.” I rambled nervously. 

I heard some shuffling while I was talking and moments later Lisa said it was okay to look.

“Did you look through my phone?” she asked, but not accusing. 

“No. I honestly thought it was my phone.” I said and handed the phone back to her. She nodded and took it. 

“You’re sleeping on the floor?” she asked. I nodded. “You sure you don’t want to-”

“Really Lili, it’s okay,” I told her with a smile. She nodded and went to the bed. She turned off the light and the only thing that was open now was the nightstand.

“Night,” she said.

“Night,” I replied and hurriedly laid down.

We were quiet for about 10 minutes. I honestly couldn’t sleep. I was still a little nervous from her coming out of the bathroom with nothing on but a towel. I guess my thoughts were too loud that she heard it.

“Jennie?” she called.

“Hmm?” I responded.

“You still up?” she asked.

“Well, I’m talking to you so yes,” I answered playfully. She threw a pillow at me and laughed. “Your loss, I get more pillows than you.” I teased.

“No!” she whined. “That was the only pillow here, give it back!” she said like a kid.

“Why don’t you come and get it?” I challenged.

“Why don’t you come and bring it instead?” she said. 

I sat up and turned to her. She was lying down, facing my side. She patted the bed and I took that as an invitation. I joined her, bringing the blanket and pillow with me. I handed her hers and made myself comfortable.

“I had fun today,” she said quietly while we were facing each other. “I think that was the first time I’ve ever done anything fun like that,” she added, smiling a little.

“I don’t think I’ve had fun in years,” I replied. “I do have to admit, your prizes were better than mine.” I joked, making her laugh softly.

“See? I win,” she said proudly.

I smiled at her and we fell into a comfortable silence. Our hands were both in front of us, close to touching. I glanced at them for a second and then looked back up at Lisa. I felt her hand suddenly hold mine. I guess she noticed me glancing.

“Thank you for today, Jennie,” she said sincerely. “You made me realize a few things that I thought it would take a while to figure out,” she added.

“Don’t thank me, it was all you. I’m sure it would only take a few more dances for you to realize that that’s where you belong.” I told her. We found ourselves in a familiar spot yesterday. Faces close and tension high. 

“I wouldn’t have realized it without you, so take the compliment and deal with it,” she said, making me smile. “Also… that’s not the only thing I realized and I’m definitely sure that this one couldn’t have happened without you,” she said.

“Yeah? What’s that?” I asked.

We seem to be pulling each other closer without noticing it because now we really were so close.

“I realized that… I… actually… don’t think we’re getting there…” she said, making me furrow my brows. I was going to say something to ask if she meant us not working out, but before I could get a word out her lips were on mine.

I was surprised in a good way, but nonetheless, it was something I wasn’t expecting from her. She pulled away after a moment and looked me in the eye, our foreheads touching.

“I think we’re there…” she said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that helped you guys even a little. I thought that some good old fluff might help right now elevate our moods. I'll be updating as soon as I can. Also, I've been working on something that I think you guys are going to love so keep an eye out for that. Take care you guys, don't forget to think about yourself. If you need a break, take it, the news hits everyone differently. Let's stick together and spread love okay? See you in the next update guys! ❤️


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised I'm not serving angst for a while... this is so hard since I love pain XD Anyways, I was glad to read your comments saying that the previous chapter helped. I hope you guys are doing well yourself and somewhat healing from all the events last week. This chapter is all about being cute and fluffy and I actually had to listen to a bunch of different playlists while writing this. I hope that this serves as another escape for you guys. It's a Monday for me so being able to read and write is really a good way to get my mind off the stress the week brought. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> P.S Remember I told you that I had something in store for you guys? I thought I'd give you a tiny sneak peek. Just copy the link hehehe
> 
> LINK: https://youtu.be/UE8yaHev6ys
> 
> P.P.S How are you all feeling wth Rosé's solo coming next week? You all still alive?

**LISA POV**

“I realized that… I… actually… don’t think we’re getting there…” I say softly as my head moves closer to Jennie’s. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, like one more beat and it would explode. I knew Jennie and I talked about taking things slow because we don’t want to rush anything, but I was thinking about what Chae said, so here I am, taking a risk.

I could see confusion flash across Jennie’s eyes. She must’ve thought I said that this wasn’t working out between us. She was planning on saying something, but I quickly met my lips with hers.

Her lips were so soft, just like the first time we kissed. Come to think of it, I was always the one initiating the kiss. I don’t really care right now, all that I can think of is how her lips seem to fit mine perfectly like pieces of a puzzle finally coming into place.

It felt like an eternity and I hoped and hoped that there wouldn’t be an end to it, but as we all know, humans need to breathe. I pulled away slowly and rested my forehead on hers. I definitely caught her off guard with the kiss.

“I think we’re already there…” I say softly, clarifying what I really meant by what I said. 

Ugh, I hate myself for saying that I wasn’t going to be the first one to fall but why am I doing this? We both looked into each other’s eyes. I didn’t know whether I should be comfortable or panicking because she’s not saying anything.

I tried to keep a steady breath, but still, she only kept looking at me. I felt a little nervous that maybe she realized that she didn’t actually like me or that maybe she was mistaken with this whole thing.

“Aren’t you going to say something?” I asked.

She blinked once… twice. Her mouth opened but nothing came out.  _ Seriously? I confess how I actually like you and you don’t say anything? Seriously? _

I sighed and rolled my eyes irritably.  _ How can she not have anything to say right now? _ I slowly sat up and faced forward. I rubbed my face and ran my fingers through my hair.

“Sorry,” Jennie said, sitting up as well. “I just-”

“Figured out that you didn’t actually like me after I admitted that I’m actually into you?” I finished her sentence for her.

“No,” she said, making me turn to face her. “I just don’t know what to say…” she adds, scooting a little closer to me.

“You could at least do something instead of just staring at me while I think that you don’t like me,” I told her, rolling my eyes again. She smiled small.

“I’m not sure if you’re going to be okay if I did what I wanted to do,” she said.

“Well, I’m sure it’s better than not getting a reaction.” I snarked.

She nodded a little. I inhaled and suddenly she leans in and meets our lips again. This time it’s not as soft as earlier. It was definitely more vigorous. I leaned further into this kiss, deepening it, wanting more of her. Jennie’s hand cupped my cheek, I felt her tongue brush on my lower lip, making me gasp a little, surprised, granting her the entrance that she wanted.

It was pure ecstasy kissing Jennie. I never liked strawberries, but the taste of them in her lips felt like the most delicious thing in the world. Along the way, I felt nervous that maybe I’m doing something wrong or maybe I’m not as good as she was expecting at this whole kissing thing, but she didn’t stop. She kept kissing me and each kiss made me feel a sense of relief and appreciation.

The kiss became more and more addicting as the seconds went by. Again, there’s a new feeling growing inside of me and I couldn’t help but slowly move to push Jennie down on the bed. I swear I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. It’s like my body has a mind of its own. I let my hands trail down to her sides, stopping just underneath her chest. Her hand was behind my neck, keeping me close.

I swore I heard her moan when I gently bit her bottom lip. Again, I was like on autopilot, just letting my body do what it wanted. My lips detached themselves from hers and found themselves kissing down her jaw and to her neck. I felt her squirming a little as I left kisses on her neck and repositioned myself on top of her.  _ It feels so hot. Her. I want her. I want to taste her. Feel her.  _ I must’ve done something right when I slightly sucked on her skin, making her moan softly.

“Lili,” she spoke softly. I didn’t mind her the first time she called, too engrossed in wanting to make her moan another time. I succeeded when I pressed my body a little against her. I think even I moaned a little. “Lili,” she says again, this time her other hand was on my shoulder. I felt her push me back gently, enough to break the kiss and hover over her. “Hold on, hold on,” she said clearly. 

She took a deep breath and let it out. 

“I love that we’re doing this right now, but I think we gotta slow down before we do something we might regret. I mean- I won’t regret anything that I do with you, but I just think that maybe you might regret it because I think we’re at that point where we’re kind of vulnerable because we just confessed our feelings and all and I know that you’re going to be amazing at- no. Wait. That’s not the point. I just don’t want this to be something that we rush into because...” she rambled, making me shake my head and kiss her again to shut her up.

“Jennie. I get it. Stop rambling.” I told her when I pulled away. “You’re cute when you ramble, but sometimes it makes me nervous with how fast you say things. Are you a rapper or something?” I playfully say while getting off her. 

_ Was I really just topping her a second ago? _

Thinking now, we actually got carried away there. I suddenly smiled at the thought that she was the one who stopped us both from taking it any further.  _ Way to not rush into anything Lisa.  _

_ Oh shit. I didn’t want it to stop.  _

“Sorry, I get pretty chatty when I’m nervous,” she said as we both took our rightful places on the bed again. 

“That made you nervous?” I asked, not entirely believing her. “But isn’t that like… not new to you? Shouldn’t I be the one nervous since I’m the one who’s never had an experience with this whole thing?” I asked.

“Yeah, well I’ve never actually done it with someone I actually like.” she rebuts. “And you’re Lili. You’ve always made me feel nervous.” she suddenly confesses, making me laugh.

“Whatever,” I tell her, rolling my eyes playfully. “We should probably get some sleep or else Jisoo’s going to be barging in here and scolding us for missing jet skiing,” I say lightly.

“Yeah, we should do that,” Jennie replies.

Of course, we don’t do that. We end up talking for an hour more before passing out. I guess it’s a thing between us.

\--

**JISOO POV**

I stirred awake from my sleep, a certain smell pulling me awake. Chaeyoung’s head was resting on my arm when I suddenly shot up to sit. She groaned at the sudden movement, this would be the second time I’m waking her up from her sleep. 

“Jisoo, what are you doing?” she asked groggily, turning to face the other side.

“Don’t you smell that? It smells like… pancakes.” I say. “No one should be here but us. I gave the helpers the day off. Someone’s making pancakes.” I add, sniffing the air.

“Baby, you know I love food but right now I just want to sleep,” she says before I hear her snore.

I decided to get out of bed and put on my jacket to go see who was downstairs making pancakes. I could hear faint music playing while I was walking down the stairs, there was also some laughing. I cautiously moved towards the kitchen, keeping myself hidden.

I peeked through the corner and was taken aback by what I saw.

“It says four cups of flour,” Jennie said, pointing at her phone. She was wearing a white oversized shirt. Her hair was up in a messy bun and she had some flour on her cheeks.

“Yeah, but we’re making two servings so you multiply four by two, you get eight.” Lisa rebutted. The girl was standing behind Jennie, her arm extending to the counter for her hand to rest on the edge. There was some sizzling on the pan on the stove, probably something being fried.

From this angle, they looked like the most domestic kind of girlfriends.

“Okay genius, but if this ends up looking like mush it’s on you,” Jennie said, taking a pinch of flour and throwing it into Lisa’s face. The smaller girl giggled. I swear that was the first time I heard her giggle like that.

“Ooh, she plays dirty,” Lisa says with bad intention. She reaches for the flour but Jennie beats her to it and takes a handful to throw at her. “Hey, no fair!” she whines before the two starts chasing each other around the kitchen. I didn’t realize how I was smiling while watching them. 

It was all going perfectly smooth when the pan suddenly grew fire. The two girls suddenly stopped and hurriedly took the pan and dumped it in the sink, screaming and arguing before opening the tap to put out the fire. They looked at each other and suddenly laughed.

_ Idiots. Oh wait, they’re my idiots. _

I went back up to the room quietly. I was smiling widely, not because I felt giddy after what I just saw. It was more of, seeing Jennie smiling and laughing genuinely. It was like a whole new her. Someone who was loose and carefree, someone in-love. Having known her for years and what she went through, seeing her like this was enough to make my day.

I crawled back to bed and snaked my arm around Chaeng who was still soundly asleep.

“Anyone rob us?” she asked, still half asleep.

“No, our friends are just idiots who can’t make pancakes without burning the house down,” I answered her, making her chuckle a little. “Sorry I woke you up,” I said.

“Well,” she turns to me. “At least I woke up with you beside me,” she said, smiling, eyes still closed. I chuckled at her and kissed her forehead.

\--

Chaeng and I got up an hour after the whole pancake incident. We went downstairs and saw how the table was all set for breakfast. We smiled at each other, knowing who prepared it. I asked Chaeng not to mention what I told her earlier. I don’t want to make either Lisa or Jennie feel like we’re turning them into our favorite tv show… even though they kind of are.

“Morning you two!” Jennie greets happily, she was wearing a huge smile on her face that automatically made Chaeng and mine’s curl up as well. “You’re up late,” she said and took a seat.

“I think it’s more of you’re up early. What’s the occasion? Why are you so cheery and- did you cook?” Chaeng replied. I pulled up a chair for her and she took her seat. I sat beside her.

“What? I’m not cheery,” she said, shaking her head. “And I didn’t cook. I just mixed the ingredients. Lili insisted on doing the cooking so if what you get is something burnt, I want you to know I tried to stop her.” she playfully said, making all three of us laugh.

“Where is Lisa?” I asked, looking around for the blonde.

“She’s taking a quick shower. We were throwing around some- … actually, we spilled some flour on ourselves attempting to make the pancakes so she’s just cleaning up,” she answered.

_ Right, spilled. _

“Right,” I said. Jennie started serving the pancakes and I noticed something on her neck. “Jen,” I called her. She looked at me and raised her brows. “What is that on your neck?” I asked. Clearly, it was a hickey.

Wait. A hickey? Then that means-

“Oh my God! You have a hickey!” Chaeng exclaimed. Jennie quickly covered her neck.

“Don’t be idiots, it’s not a hickey, it’s a mosquito bite,” she said.

“Hey, guys!” Lisa greeted wearing a white crop top, matching Jennie’s outfit.

“Hi mosquito,” I greeted her, making her furrow her brows.

Lisa sat beside Jennie who now looked like a tomato. I swear something happened last night that made these two act like this. 

We began eating and we talked about things we could do today after jet-skiing. The topic of Jennie’s  _ mosquito bite _ didn’t come up since we didn’t want things to be awkward. Apparently, Jennie and Lisa want to go and use the tickets and the money they won yesterday at the fair since today’s the last day they’re going to be there.

“What about you babe? Anything you want to do today?” I asked quietly, turning to Chaeng.

“Hmm… there’s a craft shop we passed by yesterday. I kind of want to try the pottery class they’re offering,” she answered. “I heard that it’s romantic,” she added, playfully wiggling her brows, making me chuckle softly.

“Okay, we’ll go there after jet skiing,” I told her with a smile. I realized that since we got back together I haven’t taken Chae out on a date and I of all people don’t intend to lack on the girlfriend department especially after what we went through. “Anything else? I felt like we didn’t get to do much yesterday and I want to make it up to you today.” I told her.

“Any time I spend with you is already enough,” she says, cupping my cheeks and squishing it. “But besides the pottery, I think I’m good with just cuddling with you,” she added, letting go of my face.

I smiled at her lovingly and watched as she ate the slightly burnt pancake. She really doesn’t care how burnt the food is as long as she can eat it.  _ Mental note, cook for Chaeng when we get back. _

“Earth to Chu!” Jennie said, grabbing my attention. “If you keep staring at Chae like that she’s going to melt and you’re going to end up single.” she jokingly said.

“Yeah well- you look at Lisa like that too!” I rebutted. 

“Psh, I do not,” she says, brushing it off.

“You kind of do…” Chaeyoung comes to my defense.

“What? No! I don’t look at people with any intentions of melting them.” Jennie argues like a kid.

“Yeah, but your looks definitely have meanings behind them,” Lisa remarked, drinking her juice.

Jennie’s cheeks were flushed red and suddenly we were all laughing at her.

We cleaned up after breakfast and the four of us headed outside and went to go get our rental jet skis. There were only two available, so we had to take turns. Lisa and I went first and then Chae and Jen. 

“Hey Lali, how are you and Jen?” I approached Lisa who was sitting on the sand. I sat beside her as we watched Jen and Chaeng race each other. 

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“You two have been a little close since the fair yesterday. I was just wondering how you two are. Believe it or not, I’ve actually grown fond of you.” I tell her, joking in the end. She laughs. 

“We’re… there,” she said. I could see the small smile forming on her lips. “She’s not hard to like once you get to know her. She can be a real headache sometimes, but she’s also sweet and caring and a gentlewoman.” she continues. “I took Chaeng’s advice and took a risk… so here we are,” she added. Both of us suddenly laughed when we saw Jennie fall off her jet ski. Chae followed her and dove into the water, helping Jennie back into her ski. “She can’t swim? She was doing fine yesterday.” Lisa asked.

“She can, but she’s short and the deep end intimidates her. It’s why we didn’t go too far from the shore yesterday.” I answered. “You know, I’ve never seen Jennie smile this much with anyone but Chaeng and me. Even if she did smile with us, there was always some sadness behind it.” I began telling Lisa. The two girls were driving their way back to us already. “She’s genuinely happy with you,” I look at the blonde. “Thank you.” I finish, making Lisa smile.

“Hey you two, what are we talking about?” Chaeng asked and she walked over to us. Jennie was still mounting off her jet ski. “Jennie might need her Lili right about now. She lost the race against me so now she’s a pouting cat,” she added, sitting beside me. I gave Lisa a knowing look and she understood. She went to Jennie and the two began talking.

“Are you cold?” I asked Chaeyoung, wrapping my arms around her.

“Not anymore. Did I tell you your hugs are the warmest?” she answered, shifting more into me. I laughed softly.

“Someone feels cheesy today,” I said playfully. “You wanna dry off and get to that pottery class or do you still want to ride?” I asked her.

“I think I’ll dry off for now. But you can still go and ride with Lisa if you want, we can make pottery things later,” she replied.

I shook my head, I wasn’t that into jet skiing anyway. I got up and took a towel for Chaeng. Lisa and Jennie were in the water again, playing like kids, splashing it around. Chaeng and I could only smile while watching them.

“Hey, we’re going to go to a pottery class, you two gonna be good on your own for a while?” I called their attention. He both raised two thumbs each and waved a short goodbye before going back to playing.

\--

**CHAEYOUNG POV**

We got to the craft shop a little later after I got dressed after jet skiing. Jisoo has been all sorts of sweet all day. I’m not complaining, it just feels like her courting me all over again. I can still remember how our first date went.

_ “You know, you don’t have to keep asking me every ten minutes if I’m enjoying our date. Calm down Jisoo, I’m happy just by being here with you.” I say, holding onto Jisoo’s fidgeting hand. It’s our first date. We confessed how we felt about each other the other day and we decided to take a step forward to see if something could come out of it.  _

_ If you ask me, I don’t even need to go on dates with Chu to know that I am madly in love with her. We’ve been friends for a while now and I fell for her the moment I met her. What's not to love about her? _

_ “I just don’t want this to be some crappy date. You’re an amazing girl and you deserve nothing but the best,” she said and takes her jacket off to wrap around me. _

_ It was late. I told my mom that I was sleeping over at Jennie’s. It’s a complete lie. Jisoo knows about me being in the closet and she’s never mentioned anything about needing to be out in the open. It’s one thing I’m thankful for, that she’s understanding and caring. _

_ She took me to her family’s beach house. No one was here so we had it to ourselves. We spent the whole afternoon baking and then we had a swim. It was like we were just hanging out… just add the new feelings. The setup was quite romantic. She prepared a small midnight picnic and now we were just here, quiet, together. _

_ “This is already the perfect date Chu. Don’t think too much about it. I’m happy.” I told her, interlocking my hand with hers. _

_ “If you told me that you and I would end up going on a date, I don’t think I would’ve believed it.” she chuckled out lightly as I rested my head on her shoulder. _

_ “How come?” I asked curiously. _

_ “Because you’re out of my league…” she answers. “You’re a top student while I’m not even in the honor roll, you’ve got good friends, and my current and only friend is slowly turning into Regina George minus the mean girl attitude, you’re good and I’m… not so much,” she explained. _

_ “That’s bull,” I tell her. “‘You don’t have to be an honor roll student to be considered a good one. I’ve seen your grades Chu, you’re smarter than you say you are. My friend group consists of my sister Alice, Jennie, you, and Nayeon. I don’t believe that you’re not good. I know you are. Why else would I fall for you?” I added. _

_ “Because I’m hot?” she replied playfully. I hit her arm lightly and we laughed. _

_ “Okay, yes you’re hot but that’s not why I fell for you,” I told her. She looked down at me. “You always took care of me. Never letting me feel unwanted or unwelcome. You’ve made small sacrifices to show that you support me. Like missing your game to watch me at a boring debate or giving me your lunch because you know it’s my favorite.” I continue. “Don’t bring yourself down Chu. I know we’re different, but neither of us is perfect. We each have our flaws so… Chicken up! Because there is absolutely nothing you can say that can make me change the way I feel about you.” I finished. _

_ I promise to always let you know how amazing you are, Chu. Until the day you realize how great you are. _

“So should I make one of Shin Chan’s butt?” Jisoo jokingly asked while looking at the designs.

“If you make it, you will never see me again,” I replied jokingly.

“He has a cute butt!” she rebutted and I gave her an indifferent look. “But yours is definitely cuter,” she adds, winking.

We both chuckle. We decided to make some random things instead. Jisoo chose some cups and I decided to make a weird emo cactus. We were crafting and molding the clay. It was honestly relaxing. 

We made our molds for about an hour. Around 40 minutes later it started raining and the atmosphere became more romantic for me. 

“You done with yours, babe?” Chu asked, painting her last cup.

“Yup! How does my cactus look?” I replied, holding up the item.

“Like a cactus, well-done babe,” she said playfully, making me laugh. “You want to try and make other stuff? They have the whole pot maker thingy over there,” she said, pointing to the side. I smiled and nodded my head eagerly.

Chu and I were escorted to the area where there was some sort of contraption. The lady who worked at the shop taught us how to do it and we began molding small pots. Chu was a natural, but I was struggling a little. The lady was kind enough to lend me a hand, but that meant actually guiding my hand on how to do it.

Chu would glance at us from time to time and I knew it was making her feel jealous. Of course, she doesn’t get jealous often, but when she does it usually doesn’t end well.

“Babe,” I called for her. Her eyes met mine. “I love you,” I said.

“I love you too,” she replied with a soft smile.

\--

After making a few more molds, Jisoo and I decided to head back to the house to start packing our things. It was pouring rain when we got out and neither of us had an umbrella. We gave each other a knowing look before smiling. We rushed out to the rain, getting ourselves soaking wet. We decided that there’s no point in trying to get back quickly since we were already wet, so we spent a few minutes just playing around in the rain before one of the lifeguards asked us to take shelter.

We ran back to the house, hands stuck together and laughing.

Once we got there we were so wet we looked like we came from under the sea. Chu and I fell in a moment and she tucked my messy hair behind my ear. I leaned into her touch. It was so soft and gentle. She kept her hands on my cheeks afterward, letting me feel her soft hands and their warmth.

“What’s going on with you today?” I ask her softly. She tilted her head and furrowed her brows. “You’ve been acting extra sweet and I love it, I just want to know if something’s up?” I explained.

“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head. “Maybe I just feel like I’ve been lacking with you lately and I don’t want you to think that just because I got you back I’ll be laying back and doing nothing, acting as if nothing happened between us. I just want to let you know that I love you very much Chipmunk,” she added, smiling softly.

_ KJSDhkSHDK Kim Jisoo, why do you have to make me feel this way?!?!? _

“You’re not lacking babe,” I tell her, holding her hands. “We may not have had the best few weeks, sure, but not once did I feel like you lacked in anything. Don’t be too hard on yourself, we’re okay.” I assured her.

“I just don’t want to disappoint you,” she says.

“You’re not disappointing me. Is this what this whole trip was? Because you felt like you were disappointing me?” I asked her.

She nodded softly.

“Oh, baby… I promise you. I have never been happier in my life. I love you so much.” I tell her.

“I love you more,” she replied. “If you feel like I’m lacking as your girlfriend please tell me so I can make up for it because I know that I suck and I’m a jerk sometimes and I don’t ever want you to feel like this is just another relationship because it’s not, it’s the most important thing to me and I will do anything to keep you in my life.” she rambled.

I smiled softly at her before giving her a soft, chaste kiss. I hugged her when I pulled away.

“You will never lose me Kim Jisoo. I’m yours forever.” I tell her.

\--

**JENNIE POV**

“Okay, that’s it. I’m beat, let’s go back,” I tell Lisa panting a little. We’ve been playing at the fair all morning and we’ve ridden every ride we could. This was our last one, the haunted house. It’s never a good thing to bring someone who gets scared easily to one.

We spent all the cash money we won on some food and maybe a little alcohol. I managed to convince Lisa to have one drink with me and since I’m turning 18 in a few days, I got to buy some with ease. It was pure fun, I swear. It was also the reason why I nearly threw up when we rode the coaster.

Okay, so maybe we had more than one drink, but at least we’re having fun right?

“I can’t believe you threw your water at him,” Lisa laughed out as she followed behind me. “That was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen!” she added, laughing more.

“Ha ha. Very funny. You said it wasn’t scary!” I scolded her.

“And you said,  _ I’ll lead the way Lili, just hold on to me and I’ll protect you, _ ” she replied, mocking me. “I ended up being the one leading the way,” she laughed again. She might be a little drunk considering how she slurred a few of her words.

“You’re such a jerk!” I whined and walked away. Of course, all of that was just some playful banter. I didn’t walk too fast, not wanting to leave Lisa behind in her state. She caught up to me not too long later.

“Don’t be mad Jen, you look cute while running away from a man dressed in a mummy suit,” she said teasingly, throwing an arm over my shoulder.

“Whatever,” I said, rolling my eyes and walking faster. We reached a quieter part of the dock. Some people were taking pictures and talking. I leaned on the railing, watching the open sea. Lisa leaned beside me, watching me.

“Jenniieee,” she called like she was cooing. “JenJen,” she continued, the nickname making me cringe. “Jenny Ruby Jaaanee,” she giggled out. I still didn’t look at her. I’m not going to melt just like that. “Nini?” she called softly and my lips betrayed me, curving into a smile.

She laughed at her success. 

“Ugh, I hate you,” I playfully rolled my eyes at her.

“No you don’t,” she said confidently. 

“You’re right, I don’t,” I tell her. We were not both looking out. There was a comfortable silence between us. I noticed our hands were close to each other and I decided to take a bold move. I reached out to her hand and held it.

She didn’t seem to mind. She kept her eyes where they were and her hand relaxed in mine.

“What happens next for us?” she asked. 

I thought before answering.

“Well, we could buy a house and then adopt a dog or two, maybe some cats, and then we’ll get married and make some pancakes every morning,” I joked. She laughed and bumped me lightly.

“Seriously, I want to know. What do you want to happen?” she said, her laughter dying down. She looked me in the eye, indicating she was being serious.

_ What do I want? To ask her to be my girlfriend would be too soon right? Yes. I can’t just ask her, besides she might not want to go there yet… but the way we kissed last night… she definitely wants this to go somewhere… what’s the right answer? _

As I was opening my mouth to speak, when suddenly the sky rumbled and rain started pouring. I guess I was saved by the rain? Lisa and I quickly ran to the house but not before getting wet.

“Why is it always raining with us? Can’t it be sunshine and rainbows?” Lisa grumbled as we got to the porch. I was rubbing my arms, keeping myself warm from the cold breeze.

“Let’s get inside before we freeze to death,” I tell her, chuckling a little.

We go inside, still not talking about our topic earlier. We headed to the room we were given and I took a towel and put it over me.

“You should take a warm shower first, I’ll wait for you to finish,” I told Lisa. I couldn’t look her in the eyes. Her getting wet in the rain only made her so beautiful. Why did I have to fall for her?

“You can go first, I’m not that cold,” she said.

“No, Lili, you of all people can’t get sick. You still have that dance competition to practice for, go on.” I told her.

She shook her head. Both of us were being so stubborn right now.

“You’re always putting me first, if you get sick I’ll blame myself for it,” she argued.

“Lili, I’m older so you have to follow me.” I rebut.

“You’re not my mom.” 

“Go get in the bathroom,” I pushed her in gently. Urging her to take the shower first, but she slipped off my hands and switched our positions.

“After you,” she says, now she was the one pushing me, chuckling. I stopped before entering the door and suddenly turned to her, seeing her smiling about this whole situation.

“Lili, don’t be stubborn,” I tell her, trying not to laugh.

“Or what?” she challenged playfully.

“Or else I’ll kiss you,” I replied playfully, smiling a little as well.

“And what if I want that?” she asked, stepping a little closer to me.

This game is getting dangerous.

“Careful, I might just do it,” I tell her, trying to make the situation light from the building tension between us.

“I’m waiting,” she replied.

“We’re playing a dangerous game, Lili,” I warned her.

“That’s okay,” she says and steps closer, now our bodies are nearly touching. “We can blame it on the alcohol,” she added.

I could tell she was highly drunk from the few drinks we had earlier. I guess she’s not much of a drinker. I also know that we shouldn’t do anything right now because we’re not thinking clearly. I was taking a step back to clear up some space between us, but Lisa took my hand.

“Let go, Lili, you’re drunk,” I tell her.

“I’m sober,” she says.

“Oh yeah?” I ask as she lets me go. “Prove it,” I tell her.

“How?” she asks, tilting her head slightly.

“Hmm… dance for me,” I tell her and move past her to sit back on the bed.

“Like a lap dance?” she asked, confused, turning to me.

“As much as I would enjoy it, no. Just the dance you’re practicing for the competition,” I tell her playfully, chuckling a little.

“It’s not ready yet,” she says.

“I’ll take what you got,” I told her.

She inhaled and nodded. We were both starting to get dry. She played a song on her phone and got into position. She started dancing like a pro, switching from a light mood to a much serious one. I sat there watching her, her moves precise and on point. She’d only been practicing for less than a week but it looked like she’d been doing it for months.

The first half of the song ended and she stopped dancing. I clapped for her, making her blush a little.

“It’s not even perfected yet, stop that,” she chuckled out, taking my hand to silence them. 

“Well, I think it’s perfect! Anything better than that and you’ll have all the schools fighting over you,” I tell her.

A new song played and she was pulling me up.

“Wh- what’s happening?” I asked, following her.

“You’re dancing with me,” she said and smiled. “And don’t you dare say no because yesterday was proof that you’re a great dancer,” she added.

I didn’t bother to argue with her.

“It’s a slow song, are we supposed to breakdance to this? Lemme change it,” I said and reached for her phone, but stopped me.

“Haven’t you heard of a slow dance?” she asked, teasing a little.

“I’ve never had a slow dance before,” I told her.

She pursed her lips and didn’t say anything. She took both my hands and guided them to wrap around her neck. She gave me a small smile and let her hands find their way to my waist. 

“Is it okay to hold you here?” she asked softly, the music playing in the background. I nodded. “We’ll just sway gently, nothing too big, nothing too small, just…” she said as she lead us in a simple swaying motion.

I looked down on our feet, we weren’t wearing any shoes and I was scared I might step on her accidentally since I’ve never done this before.

“Eyes up,” she said, her hands under my chin, pulling it upwards. “The first rule of slow dancing, always look your partner in the eye,” she added.

“You just made that up,” I said.

“Maybe,” she chuckled softly. “Or maybe I just like looking at your eyes,” she added.  _ Smooth. _

_ I’m tripping on words, _

_ you’ve got my head spinning _

_ I don’t know  _

_ where to go from here _

_ Cause it’s you and me _

_ And all of the people _

_ With nothing to do, _

_ Nothing to lose _

Our eyes never left each other. Slowly, but surely she was pulling me closer to her. It felt nice just being with her like this, swaying to the music, and just getting lost in her eyes. Once we were close enough she rested her forehead on mine, closing her eyes in the process.

“I thought we weren’t supposed to take away our eyes from our partner?” I asked softly, making her smile. She didn’t say anything after, so maybe she just wants to dance right now.

“You’re not going to hurt me, are you?” she asked suddenly, making me pull my head away. She opened her eyes and looked at me.

“I would never,” I answered her.

“I’m serious Jennie. I’m risking a lot… I want to risk it all on you, but I need to know that you’re not going to hurt me,” she said.

I could see that she was afraid. I wouldn’t blame her. With my track record, it’s not easy to take that leap. I have to show her and not tell her. I need to make her feel it.

“I promise you, Lili, I won’t hurt you,” I told her. “I can’t prove it now, but I need you to give me the chance to show you,” I added.

She nodded. I knew not hurting her would be a promise that would be hard to keep because even I can’t stop hurting myself, but she was taking the risk and trusting me. I have to try.

“Nini,” she called softly, automatically making me smile at the nickname.

“Hmm?” 

“Can I… can I kiss you?” she asked softly.

**JISOO POV**

“Do you think they’re still at the fair? I texted Jennie but she didn’t reply,” I asked Chaeng as we walked up the stairs. We heard faint music playing and we looked into the hallway. She covered her mouth with her hand when we saw Jennie and Lisa slow dancing in their room. 

They were so lost in each other that neither of them noticed us. My heart felt like it was exploding at the sight. My best friend finally found someone who will (hopefully) love her through everything.

“They look so happy,” Chaeng whispers.

We watched as Jennie nodded at something Lisa said and the taller girl leaned in to meet their lips. It took everything for me and Chae not to squeal at it.

“Let’s go, we should give them their privacy,” I told her and pulled her to our room, closing the door quietly.

\--

“Do you have everything packed?” I asked Chae. She zipped up her bag and gave me a thumbs up. “Okay, do you want me to call Mason to fetch us a driver so you don’t have to drive?” I asked again.

“No, I’ll be good to drive. Though, we need to go to Bobby’s first. Are they still on for Jennie’s birthday?” Chaeng asked.

“Yeah, they told me we could use the club for a party,” I answered.

Jennie’s birthday was coming up on Friday and that means she’s turning 18 and she’ll finally be  _ free  _ from the things (and people) that are holding her back. Chaeng and I were planning a surprise party for her. We invited the entire school and I made sure no one would say a word to Jennie.

“Tell Alice to buy the decorations herself. I don’t trust online stores.” I told Chae as she moved around the room, fixing what needed fixing. “I’ll just send her the money,” I added.

“Since we’re talking about my sister and technically we’re in the topic of siblings,” Chaeng began. “Are we… going to invite you-know-who?” she asked. I furrowed my brows at her question. “BamBam, are we inviting BamBam?” she clarified.

I thought for a minute.

“No,” I answered.

“Don’t you think it’s time for them to make up?” she asked.

“It’ll be time for them to make up when BamBam stops being an ass to Jennie and actually realizes that nothing that happened to them is her fault,” I answered her.

“I just think that… she’s turning eighteen and I’m sure that they both miss each other,” she said with all innocence.

“What makes you think that? They hate each other,” I remark.

“I just overheard BamBam and Alice talking when we went to Jennie’s. I don’t think that he hates her,” she replied.

“Chaeng, it’s her birthday. Let’s not ruin it by inviting the one person that would make sure her night turns out to be the worst night of her life.” I told her, ending the conversation.

My phone rang and it was Jennie’s ID.

“Uh, hello?” I answered.

“Where are you two? Lili and I have been waiting for the two of you to get back! It’s raining and you’re still making pots?” she exclaimed. 

“What do you mean?” I asked. “Jennie, we’ve been upstairs for an hour,” I told her. I didn’t hear her reply and suddenly the door burst open.

“You’ve been here for an hour and didn’t bother to tell us?!” she yelled.

Chaeng and I laughed at her.

“Not our fault you and Lisa were too busy doing who knows what to notice us.” I shrugged.

“We weren’t doing anything,” she said, unamused.

“Yeah right...” Chaeng remarked and turned away to fix her bag. “ _ Cause you and me, and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose…” _ she began singing. Jennie’s eyes widened and a blush appeared on her cheek.

“Hubby!” she exclaimed and rushed to Chae who saw her coming and ran out the room, Jennie following her.

“Bring her back alive!” I yelled as I heard them running down the stairs. Lisa popped in a little after.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Chaeng is about to get killed by my best friend and I’m hoping that she survives because I really like my girlfriend and it would be nice to take her home with me in one piece,” I playfully answered. “You guys all set to go?” I asked her and she nodded.

She came into the room and slightly closed the door.

“Can I ask you a question?” she began. I nodded and gave her my attention. “Do you think Jennie’s going to ask me to be her girlfriend?” she asked. “We both kind of confessed about liking each other and we know how we feel… but every time I try to bring it up something seems to come up and the question is left unanswered,” she explained.

“Have you tried asking her instead of you waiting for her?” I asked.

“I want to… but I’m not sure that it’s what she wants,” she answers.

“Hey, don’t think too much about it okay? Jennie’s like that. She really likes you and I don’t doubt that she’ll ask you anytime soon. Just trust her, it’ll all work out.” I said quickly when Lisa hung her head low. 

“Am I overthinking all this too soon?” she asked.

“No, you’re just a girl who fell for my idiot best friend so it’s normal to feel and act like that,” I told her, making her laugh a little.

“Phew! What did we miss?” Chae asked her and Jenne had their arms on each other’s shoulder.

“I was just telling Lisa that she’s driving with Jen home since it’ll be easier for us,” I answered.

“We should get going if that’s the case. Your house is an hour’s drive and I gotta get back to Bobby’s for my shift tonight.” Jennie said. “I’ll go get the car ready, wait for me downstairs Lili,” Jennie said, leaving the three of us. 

“Wait, for me downstairs Lili,” Chaeng copied Jennie aking faces at Lisa. We all laughed and went down.

\--

Jennie and Lisa waved us goodbye before they got in their car. Chaeng and I were going to Bobby’s before Jennie got back to talk about the party. We drove our separate ways and kept in touch through text. 

“Should we tell Lisa about the party?” Chaeng asked.

“Definitely, but we gotta do it in person. I have a special request for her gift for Jennie.” I replied, smirking.

_ I’m making sure this is her best birthday yet. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys like this chapter? Were you able to smile while reading it? That's my goal, for now, making you guys smile because we really need to keep going and just pushing through even though things are hard. Drink water and take care of yourselves okay? Don't skip meals and always smile because you'll look 100000000x better when you smile! Also, did you guys watch the teaser? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments! See you next chapter!
> 
> LINK: https://youtu.be/UE8yaHev6ys

**Author's Note:**

> If you guys have any suggestions or requests send them my way on Twitter! (@ash_er_maine)


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